Of Christmas Past
by Chaser921
Summary: In Godric's Hollow on the Winter Solstice, HPGW step into a stone circle and are transported back in time seventeen years. They meet his parents, and Harry has to learn what is really important. He also has to deal with his relationship with Ginny.
1. The Standing Stones

Harry stared moodily into the fireplace of the room he shared with Ron. They had started for Godric's Hollow much later than he had planned. Voldemort and his Death Eaters had struck unexpectedly at Bill and Fleur's wedding, sending everyone into hiding for two months now. Finally, he could stand it no longer, so he, Ron, and Hermione left for Godric's Hollow to begin their search.

They arrived at a little Muggle hotel called The Roaring Lion three nights before and taken two rooms upstairs. They had been exhausted, immediately collapsing on their beds.

The next morning, Harry visited his parents' graves.

They were buried together under one large, marble headstone covered in moss. Large, graceful letters carved in the stone gave their names, births and death dates. The only other marking on the grave was a simple inscription:

"Greater love hath no one than they that lay down their lives for those they care for."

That inscription and the lifeless cold of the graveyard had plunged Harry into a brooding depression that lasted for two days and showed no signs of abating. He worried, haunted by the thought that he could be burying Ron, Hermione, or Ginny under an inscription like that soon. But he didn't know what to do about it. He couldn't stop Ron or Hermione from coming with him on his search for the Horcruxes. They had been forced to leave in secret to keep Ginny from coming as well, and Harry kept wondering if he had done the right thing by leaving her.

He shook his head violently.

"She's better safe, away from me, not matter how much I miss her," he told himself firmly.

There was a hesitant knock on the door.

"Harry?" Harry ignored Hermione's voice, hoping that she would just go away. But no such luck. He heard snatches of a whispered conversation behind the door, and it was suddenly pushed open as Ron and Hermione burst into the room. He looked up, clutching his wand, but was taken aback by the huge grins on both their faces.

"Harry, we have a surprise for you," said Hermione.

Harry frowned in confusion and opened his mouth, but at that moment, Ginny walked through the door. He jumped to his feet and hugged her tightly before he even realized what he was doing. He buried his face in the juncture between her neck and shoulder as she stroked his back.

"Oh Ginny…"

"It's good to see you too, Harry," she said softly. He pulled back, held her at arms length, and stared hard, almost hungrily at her, drinking in the sight of her.

"You shouldn't have come. I…I mean…I missed you terribly, but…Not that I'm not glad to see you…why are you here? Why did you risk coming?"

Beside him, Hermione shuffled her feet uncomfortably.

"I asked her to come, Harry," Hermione said softly. "We didn't know what else to do. It's like…it's like seeing your parents' grave drained your…oh, spirit, or something. I thought maybe…seeing Ginny would…maybe, snap you out of it."

Harry wrapped an arm around Ginny and pulled her close, unwilling to let her go.

"You really shouldn't have," he whispered, "but thank you. I just…when I read that inscription…I kept thinking of how unbearable it would be if it were any of you buried there and…"

"I understand, Harry," Hermione said gently, as his voice fell into silence. "Ron and I thought the same thing about you when we read that. What with the Prophecy and everything, it's more likely it'll be US looking down at YOUR grave."

Ginny hugged Harry tightly and glared at Hermione.

"Don't say that!"

"Oh, Ginny," she said wearily, "I didn't mean it like…I believe in Harry, I do. It's just…"

"It's just like him to do something noble and sacrifice himself for his mates, so we're a bit worried he might actually DO that," Ron broke in.

Hermione nodded, and went on, "But anyway, we didn't ask Ginny to come to join our search for Horcruxes. We were thinking…it's the twenty-second of December today. Why don't we go back to the Burrow for it? We don't have to stay the whole time," she added hastily, seeing the frown on Harry's face. "Just…for the day…cheer us all up."

Harry was silent.

"Come on, Harry, you can't be noble and self-sacrificing all the time," Ginny teased gently, tugging his arm. He smiled down at her.

"It's not that, I just want to make sure we find everything we can before we leave here."

"Well, why don't we keep the Burrow an open option?" she suggested. "That way if we're not done by Christmas, we can stay here and keep looking."

He looked down at her, frowning. "Even if I can't go back for Christmas, I still want YOU to, Ginny. You really shouldn't even be here."

She looked mutinous, then shrugged and said, "We'll see."

They stood in silence for a moment. Ginny looked at Hermione, who nodded and grabbed Harry's arm as she and Ginny started pulling him towards the door.

"Wha – ?"

"Harry, I know we have a mission to complete, but we need to get out and _do _something first," Hermione said firmly.

"But –

"No buts! You might be the Chosen One, but you're also a seventeen-year-old boy. Let's go outside and have some fun for a couple of hours! You can allow it, just this once. Besides, today's the shortest day of the year, so we won't be out that long anyway."

"Yeah, mate, come on, it'll be fun," urged Ron.

Harry smiled reluctantly. "Okay, but only for a couple of hours. Then we really _do_ have to start searching for the Horcruxes."

Hermione nodded and she and Ginny left the room to get their coats. A few minutes later, Ron and Harry heard their laughter and the bang of the hotel door as they ran outside. The two boys followed slowly, shaking their heads.

It was a beautiful winter day. The sun was shining, and snow had fallen during the night, covering everything with piles of pure white snow.

"Blimey, it's cold!" said Ron, pulling his hat further down over his ears as he stepped out of the doorway.

Harry nodded silently, hands shoved in his pockets, still thinking about his parents. He walked forward a few steps, looking around for Hermione and Ginny. A moment later, he felt something wet and cold hit him on the back of the head.

"Hey!"

He spun around to see Ginny grinning at him, packing another snowball in her hands. As he watched, Hermione took aim and threw her snowball at Ron, but missed. Harry laughed.

"And _that_ is why you're so lousy at Quidditch!" he teased. She turned red, made another snowball, and threw it at Harry, who twisted out of the way.

"Alright you two, this means _war_!" Harry shouted happily, packing his own snowball as he ran towards them. They squealed, and took off in opposite directions.

"I'll go after Hermione, you get Ginny!" yelled Ron, scooping up handfuls of snow as he went. Harry nodded and took off after Ginny, who had run into the woods surrounding the village.

They dodged in and out of the trees, occasionally hitting each other, until they came to a clearing. Ginny made to dart across it, but stopped short right outside it next to a lightning-scarred tree, staring. Harry, who was right behind her, barreled into her. He grabbed her around the waist to try and prevent himself from falling, but fell anyway, pulling her to the ground with him.

"Oof!"

They rolled as they hit the ground, Harry ending up on top of Ginny. She laughed and squirmed underneath him, trying to push him off of her.

"Get OFF, Harry! You're heavy!"

He grinned and shook his head, trying to keep her pinned down. He managed to grab her wrists and held them over her head. A second later it suddenly became very hard for him to breathe as he realized that their faces were only inches apart. Ginny became still under him, and he slowly lowered his lips to her, brushing them lightly across her cheeks before pressing them to her mouth. He let go of her wrists and propped himself up on one hand, using the other to cup the back of her head as she pulled him closer and deepened the kiss. After what seemed like hours but was really only a few short minutes, Harry raised his face and stared at her. Ginny opened her eyes, dazed, and he ran a finger gently down her cheek. She smiled at him and sighed, breaking the spell.

He suddenly felt very awkward, and clambered off Ginny as quickly as he could, pulling her to her feet. He ran a hand through his already messy hair.

"Why did you stop like that?"

"I dunno, I just saw…those." She turned pointed into the clearing ahead of them. "What do you think they are?" 

Harry looked, and his eyes widened. There in front of them was a circle of standing stones. It looked very old; some of the stones had fallen on their sides, while others leaned tipsily against their neighbors. One pair of still remained upright, joined together by a capstone, making an archway that was just big enough for two people, if they were relatively skinny.

They stepped slowly into the clearing.

The woods suddenly became very quiet. It was as if every living thing was holding its breath, waiting. Harry looked around uneasily, and Ginny grabbed his hand. He looked down, surprised, then squeezed her fingers. She smiled faintly.

"Do you think…we should go?" she asked timidly. Harry hesitated. Though it was in ruins, the circle still seemed to exude an aura of timelessness, of _power_. It tugged and pulled at him, and he knew he wouldn't be satisfied until he knew more about it.

"Let's look in the circle first, then we'll go. But let's have our wands out, just to be sure." 

Ginny nodded, and they drew their wands out of their pockets with their free hands.

They stepped through the archway. Suddenly everything started spinning. Harry grabbed onto Ginny and held her as tightly as he could. There was a brilliant flash of white light, and he suddenly felt weightless.

A moment later, the stone circle was empty.


	2. Double Take

10

**Chapter 2: Double Take**

Harry opened his eyes, and the world slowly came back into focus as he blinked away the afterimages left by the bright flash. He was lying on his back in the stone circle with Ginny on top of him. She had a death grip on him, her face buried in his neck. He loosened his own tight grip on her, and shook her shoulder gently.

"Ginny, it's okay; you can open your eyes."

She raised her head and cautiously cracked an eyelid, then opened both eyes. She looked around slowly, but did not release him. They sat up, still clinging to each other.

"Wha-what was that, Harry?"

"I dunno…do you feel any different?"

She shook her head. He stood and pulled her to her feet, holding her hand a bit longer than was necessary. When he let it go, she raised it and looked at it, then looked around on the ground.

"What is it?" Harry asked, concerned. Ginny shook her head.

"Oh, it's nothing…. I think my glove fell off, and I don't see it anywhere."

Harry took both of Ginny's hands in his own. Sure enough, one was clad in a green wool glove while the other was bare and cold. He rubbed her ungloved fingers unconsciously, then raised them to his lips and breathed on them to warm them. She squeezed his other hand with her gloved one, and with a start, he realized what he was doing. He immediately dropped her hand, took off his own glove, and handed it to her.

"Here, use mine."

"Oh, Harry, it's fine. You don't have to - "

"I know, but I don't need it." He grinned. "I'm a boy, remember? You and Hermione always complain that we're human stoves." She grinned back at him, and slipped the overlarge glove over her hand.

"When do you think it fell off?" Harry asked.

She smiled slightly. "Well…I think it was when we…fell, outside the circle. It probably came off when you grabbed my hands. You know, before you kissed me."

"Oh, right," Harry muttered awkwardly. "Listen, about that…"

"I don't want to hear it, Harry Potter!" Ginny said firmly, startling him. His troubled green eyes met her blazing brown ones. "I know what it was, and I don't want you trying to convince me or yourself that it was something else! So just…drop it!"

"Okay, okay!" he said, a bit hurt. She sighed and shook her head, the anger suddenly draining out of her.

"It's all right, Harry...let's not worry about that now." She looked around. "We really should worry about finding Ron and Hermione; it looks like it's getting late."

Harry looked up, and to his surprise, the sun had dropped to the level of the trees and tinted the clouds around the horizon deep gold and orange. He frowned and looked at his watch, but it had stopped. He shook his wrist and listened to the watch, but no tick issued from it.

"What time is it Ginny?" he asked.

She checked her watch and frowned. "Funny," she said. "My watch seems to have stopped."

"Mine, too..." Harry said slowly, then abruptly grabbed Ginny's hand and pulled her out of the stone circle.

"Harry, what - ?"

"We need to find Ron and Hermione. Something feels...not exactly wrong but...not exactly right either."

"Hang on, let me see if my glove's out here."

They walked around the circle twice before they found the place where they had fallen, and they only found it because Ginny recognized the lightning-struck tree that she had stopped beside.

"There aren't any marks on the ground," Harry said shortly, pointing to the area where they had struggled, which was smooth and untouched.

"I don't see any of our footsteps leading into the circle either," Ginny said, scanning the ground nervously. "Or my glove. Let's go find Ron and Hermione; I'm getting worried."

"Me, too," agreed Harry. "We probably shouldn't call for them though; we might not want to draw attention to ourselves. Something happened in that circle, and until we find out what, we should be careful."

She nodded in agreement. "If we're not going to call them, we should probably split up so we have a better chance of finding them. Why don't we send up green sparks when one of us finds them? We can send up red if something bad happens."

Harry frowned, but then inclined his head. "Okay. I don't like separating, but you're right. It makes the most sense." He hesitated, then reached out and hugged her tightly. "Be careful, Ginny," he whispered into her hair.

She patted his back reassuringly. "Don't worry, we'll get everything sorted out," she said, sounding as if she were trying to convince herself as well as him.

He clung to her a moment longer and released her reluctantly as she slipped out of his arms. He stepped out of the clearing, glancing back to follow her with his eyes as she walked in the opposite direction. In a few moments, she was hidden by the trees, and he began looking seriously for Ron and Hermione.

Harry had only been walking about fifteen minutes when, for the second time that afternoon, a snowball hit him in the back of the head. He spun around to see a flash of long red hair as someone ducked around a tree.

"Ha! Gotcha!" he heard a girl cry.

"Ginny! What're you doing? We're supposed to be looking for Ron and Hermione!" he yelled after her, but his only answer was a tinkling laugh that quickly began to fade.

Maybe she hadn't heard him.

He scrambled after her, ducking snowballs as she dodged around trees. He frowned. Something seemed…off about her. It almost looked like she had on a different coat, or something, but he couldn't get a clear enough look to figure out what it was. Eventually the two of them made it out of the forest. Once on open ground, his longer legs gave him an advantage, and he quickly caught up to her.

"Ginny! Wait!" he shouted, catching her arm and wrestling her to the ground. She giggled.

"Okay, James, okay! I give up, you win!"

She stopped struggling and Harry let her sit up, a confused look on his face at the use of his middle name. She shook back her mane of red hair and brushed snow from her shoulders, then looked directly at him, laughing. Harry stared at her, dumbstruck. He wasn't looking into Ginny's deep brown eyes. Instead, bright green eyes, eyes he saw staring out of his own mirror every morning, looked back at him. He blinked, and so did she, then she frowned.

"Bloody hell…you're Lily Potter, aren't you?" he asked in a hoarse whisper.

"James," she said slowly. "You know that's my…"

Her words faded and her eyes got very large as she looked, really looked at Harry, who was staring back at her, his mouth hanging open. Her gaze fixed on his eyes, then slowly traveled over his face, pausing in confusion when she saw his scar. She scooted away from him and discreetly pulled her wand out of her pocket.

Harry shook his head to clear it, and blinked.

"Er…I'm not James. Sorry."

She nodded, and said, as if to herself, "His eyes are hazel…but…who…?"

Before she could complete the question, they heard a shout that made them both turn back towards the woods.

"Hey! Wait!"

A young man with messy black hair emerged from the woods, glancing back over his shoulder as he dodged the thinning trees.

"Ha! Gotta be quicker than that!"

A moment later, a girl with long red hair followed him out of the forest, hot on his heels.

"Ginny!"

"James!"

Harry and Lily yelled at the same time, their voices mingling and echoing so that their words became one loud sound. They looked at each other. Lily's expression became mildly concerned, and she scrutinized Harry more closely.

"Are you all right? You've gone very pale."

"Er…yeah, I'm fine, just…er…just cold, I guess," he stammered. "Is that the James you thought I was?"

She glanced at the pair, who had apparently heard them and were swiftly approaching.

"Yes, I think so." She looked at him again. "Who's that following him?"

"Oh…well, that's my, er, girlfriend. I guess she thinks he's me."

She stared at him again, as if he were a puzzle she couldn't quite figure out.

"What?" he asked defensively. "You did!" He wasn't surprised that she had, actually, considering that he had once thought himself to be James Potter, back in his third year.

"I know…it's just weird, that you and James look so much alike…" her voice trailed off, and she frowned. "Except for your eyes…"

"Come on, let's just get this straightened out," Harry interrupted before she could say anything else, like how his eyes looked just like hers. He got to his feet and helped Lily to hers.

As they trudged through the snow towards James and Ginny, Harry's mind was racing.

_It couldn't be._

_But it might be. She looks just like the pictures of my mum. And the man we're _

_walking toward looks an awful lot like my dad. _

_But they're dead!_

_Not if I'm in the past._

_But how?_

_That circle, it must've been._

_What am I going to_ do_? What am I going to _say

_Is it even real?_

_Is it a trick?_

_Oh, Merlin._

James had stopped to allow Ginny to catch up with him, and as she reached him Harry and Lily drew within earshot.

"Harry Potter, I'm going to kill you! Why-"

"You've got the wrong Potter. I'm James." He frowned. "How do you know my son's name?"

Ginny's head flew up, and she looked hard at him, really _looked_ at him.

"Your son – oh. Your eyes."

He looked confused and self-consciously pushed his square glasses further up his nose.

"What about my eyes?" 

"They're hazel," Ginny said quietly.

"Yeah, so?"

"Mine are green," Harry said as he walked up behind James. James whipped around and gaped at him, then spotted Lily behind him.

"Lily!"

He pushed past Harry and embraced Lily, then turned to face Harry and Ginny, one arm still possessively around his wife, his wand clutched tightly in his other hand. Ginny stepped beside Harry and slipped her hand into his, reaching in her pocket with her other hand and drawing her own wand. Lily noticed and nudged James, who nodded slightly, as if to say he'd seen it too. Harry gave Ginny a small smile and turned to face the pair in front of him.

"Um…hello," James began awkwardly. "I'm James Potter, and this is my wife, Lily." He addressed his next comment solely to Ginny. "Sorry about the snowball, by the way. I just saw the back of your head and assumed you were my Lily. We didn't realize there was anyone else in the wood today."

Ginny smiled.

"It's all right, no harm done. Harry and I had our own snowball fight earlier. That's one reason I thought you were him."

James frowned.

"Yes, about that…"

"Oh, pleased to meet you," Harry answered quickly. "Uh…I'm Harry…Porter, and this is my…girlfriend, Ginny…Westland. We…we just arrived from London and were about to head into town for a hotel."

Ginny looked taken aback, and opened her mouth, but closed it and nodded slowly, almost to herself.

Lily gave Harry a hard look as James raised his eyebrows.

"Porter…" he said slowly. "But Ginny called me Harry Potter."

"Oh, uh, you must have misheard her then," Harry stammered. Lily continued to look at him closely, and he had a sinking feeling that neither of them was convinced.

"Did he?" she murmured. "I must have misheard her, too." She shook her head. "And the hotel is full. We met a young family about an hour ago who said they'd gotten the last two rooms. Do you have anywhere else you can stay?"

Harry and Ginny looked at each other, then slowly shook their heads.

Lily glanced at James, a questioning look in her eyes. She drew him off to the side where they held a whispered conversation. Harry muttered a quick spell, and the wind shifted direction to carry the Potters' voices to him and Ginny.

"We need to find out who they are, James! Something's not right, especially about the boy! He looks so much like you, and his name…I'm halfway convinced he's a teenage version of our son!"

"But Lily, we don't know anything about them! They could be working for Voldemort!"

"That's why I want them to come back to the house with us! We can't very well question them out here in the cold and the dark! The sun's almost gone, look! And with the Death Eaters around…"

"But what about Harry? _OUR_ Harry? What if they try something?" 

There was a pause, and Lily's voice continued, more hesitant.

"Well…Sirius is at home with him now…why don't we have him take Harry to his place until we're sure of them?"

"But Lily, how can you be SURE?" 

"I'm not, okay? I'm not sure! But…there's something about them…especially the boy. And I have this feeling… I don't think they're telling us the truth, but…I don't think they're working for You-Know-Who either. Something in his eyes… Please James?"

He threw up his hands.

"All right, all right! But I'm still taking precautions. AND I'm contacting Dumbledore as soon as we get back to the house!"

Lily nodded, and they walked back over to Harry and Ginny. James took a deep breath and slipped his hand in his pocket.

"Lily and I've decided…we've got an empty guest bedroom we'd like to offer you. We live just outside the village. Would you like to stay with us?" 

Harry stared at him, his mind working furiously. Staying with his parents, even just spending time with them, could change everything. He and Ginny would have to be very careful about what they told the Potters, and they might not be believed even then.

But…to spend Christmas with his parents…and besides, they didn't have anywhere else to go. They had to figure out what their next move was, and that would be a lot easier to do indoors, especially with night coming on.

"It's not very safe nowadays, especially after dark, what with the Death Eaters and You-Know-Who still at large," James added.

Harry looked down at Ginny. She was shivering slightly, and he let go of her hand to place his arm around her shoulders. He looked at his parents.

"That would be great, actually. Thank you," he said firmly. "Come on Ginny, you look cold."

James nodded shortly, and he and Lily started towards the road that led to the village. Harry and Ginny followed hand in hand as the road turned sharply to the right, then split. The second, less traveled fork led to a cozy two-story house that somehow reminded Harry of the Burrow, even though it was solidly on its foundation and had no chickens.

James led them around the back of the house to a door covered with faded red paint. He waved his wand and pushed it open, holding it for the other three, staring closely at Harry as he went through. The door led to a small kitchen with exposed brick walls. Harry and Ginny looked around as Lily disappeared through a doorway on the right, calling Sirius's name as she went.

Ginny nudged him and nodded towards the daily calendar sitting on the counter. It featured a moving photograph of three or four children having a snowball fight, but the picture wasn't what interested Harry. The date, the twenty-second of December, was all right, but the year…the year was 1980.

As he stared in shock at the date, his first thought was that it explained why he and Ginny had found no trace of Ron and Hermione in the forest.


	3. The Search

Hermione ducked behind a tree, breathing hard. She and Ron had been dodging each other for a good half-hour, and while she was in decent shape, she wasn't exactly athletic. She sneaked a glance around the trunk, and a snowball whizzed over her head. She ducked back quickly, ran a short distance, and hid behind a large lightning-scarred tree. She could hear Ron in the distance, laughing.

"Hermione! It's no fun when you hide! Where are you?"

She smiled and leaned against the tree, but straightened a moment later as a flash of vivid green caught her eye. It was an unusual color among the white and brown of the snow-covered forest, and she stepped forward to get a better look. She knelt next to the object and picked it up. It was a green, woolen glove with a hole in the tip of the right index finger. She frowned and looked inside the cuff. The name GINNY WEASLEY had been written there in Permanent Never-Fade Fabric Ink.

A second later Hermione had the wind knocked out of her as she was grabbed around the waist and thrown to the ground.

"Ron!! Get _off_!"

She struggled and kicked. His laughter turned into a yelp of pain as her knee connected with something soft, and she winced. He rolled off and curled into a fetal position as he tried to protect himself from any more blows.

"Sorry, Ron, are you all right?"

"No, I'm not _bloody_ all right! Those were my _bleedin' bollocks_ you kicked!"

"Oh…I'm really sorry! I didn't mean it, honestly!" He glared at her, and she bristled at once. "Well, I didn't! Besides, if _you_ hadn't slammed me into the ground like that it wouldn't have happened!"

"I was just trying to have a bit of fun! Then you go and kick me in the knackers!"

"I already told you, it was an accident! Besides, I just found this." She held Ginny's glove out to Ron, who took it, frowning.

"It's Ginny's glove," he said slowly. "You reckon she lost it?"

"I don't know what happened, Ron," Hermione said, "but it looks like there was some kind of struggle here. The snow's all churned up, look. And there are footprints…oh my! They lead into that stone circle!"

"A stone circle? Cool! What do you suppose it does?" Ron asked. 

Hermione frowned. "I don't know… I know I've read something about them, but I can't remember exactly what. Some time in our third year, I think. What was it…DON'T!"

Ron had walked over to the circle and was on the verge of entering it. He looked at Hermione crossly.

"Why not? It looks like Harry and my sister did!"

"It could be a trap or something!" Hermione said urgently. "There aren't any footprints leading out, and Harry and Ginny definitely aren't inside it anymore!"

"You don't think…You-Know-Who used it to catch them somehow, do you?"

"I don't know," Hermione replied worriedly. "But we need to find them. If we can't find them before dark…we'll have to go get help."

"But who?" Ron asked glumly. "Dumbledore's gone."

Hermione looked pained at Ron's mention of Dumbledore, but managed to be exasperated with him at the same time.

"Professor McGonagall, Ron! She's current head of the Order; she'll know what to do!"

Ron nodded in agreement. "Right, shall we split up to look for them? Say, meet back at the hotel by dark?"

Hermione hesitated. "Okay. I really, really don't like it, but it makes more sense. We can shoot up green sparks if we find them and red if something bad happens."

Ron nodded firmly, pulled out his wand, and headed off into the forest. Hermione sighed, drew her own wand, and started walking in the opposite direction.

Two hours later, back at the hotel, neither one of them had succeeded in locating Harry or Ginny. Ron paced up and down the length of the room impatiently as he waited for Hermione to finish in their shared bathroom.

"Finally!" Ron stopped pacing in relief as she appeared. "I thought you'd never get out of there. Where are we going then? Headquarters?"

Hermione nodded. "We can use the Floo Network from there to get to Hogwarts and talk to McGonagall."

She took Ron's arm, and the two of them Apparated in the alley between numbers 10 and 11 of Grimmauld Place. They checked to see if the coast was clear, and then ran the short distance to the entrance of Number 12 Grimmauld Place.

The house was still dark and shabby, but Mrs. Weasley had not ceased her efforts to clean it, and it was in slightly better shape than when the pair had last seen it. They arrived in the entrance hall and quickly stepped into the living room where a huge fireplace took up most of the west wall.

Hermione took a handful of powder from the small pot on the mantle and stepped into the fireplace, loudly shouting "McGonagall's office!" There was a "Whoosh!" of green flame, and a moment later she tumbled out of the fireplace into the headmistress's office. Professor McGonagall lifted her head from the letter she was writing and stared in surprise as Hermione stood and dusted herself off, only to be knocked down again as Ron came through the fireplace in a cloud of ash.

"Hermione! You have to _move_ after you land!"

"And you're supposed to wait _five minutes,_ Ronald! Honestly!"

"Excuse me, Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley!" Professor McGonagall said sternly, preventing an argument from breaking out. Ron and Hermione glared at each other before taking seats in the two chairs that faced her desk.

"Now, explain yourselves!" Her stern look melted into something like worry. "Is something wrong? And where is Mr. Potter?"

Hermione glanced at Ron before answering. "Well, Professor, we're not really sure…"

McGonagall raised her eyebrows and leaned forward as Hermione told her about her discovery of Ginny's glove and their subsequent search for Harry and Ginny. When she mentioned the stone circle, however, McGonagall's expression changed momentarily from one of worry to surprise, but she said nothing until Hermione had finished.

"Well, this is certainly an interesting development. Have you told anyone else about this?"

"No, Professor. Do you know what happened?"

"I can't say for certain, Miss Granger, but I have a good idea of what may have occurred. I'll need Arthur to help me double check, but I think I know where they've gone."

Ron and Hermione leaned forward anxiously.

"I believe they have gone into the past."

Hermione raised both hands to her mouth and gasped, while Ron's mouth simply gaped open.

"Wha-what? They've gone where?" he whispered hoarsely.

"The past," she said crisply. "Hundreds of years before Hogwarts was founded, powerful witches and wizards across the British Isles erected stone circles as a means to travel through time. Something to do with the way the placement of certain stones conducted magic, you see. Merlin himself went to Ireland for the boulders of Stonehenge. _That_ was an ordeal, you can be sure! Even the Muggles found out about it, and even though most of them don't believe it now, it's worked its way into the legends about one of their kings, Arthur, I believe.

"However," she continued, "after many wizards killed their past or future selves, time travel was restricted and put under the exclusive control of the Ministry of Magic. Most of the circles were destroyed or allowed to fall into disrepair, but others were never found. It sounds like the one you stumbled on at Godric's Hollow is one of those."

Hermione smacked herself on the head and groaned. "_Now_ I remember! I read about the stone circles when I was researching Time-Turners and time travel in our third year. I thought I should know as much as possible about them, since I was using one."

McGonagall nodded. ""I've been assisting Arthur with research on time travel, and some of the material covered circles like the one you found. The Ministry wants him to look into alternative methods, since most of the Time-Turners were broken in the Department of Mysteries. I'll contact him, Alastor and Remus to help me determine if Mr. Potter and Miss Weasley are indeed in the past. If they are, we need to locate them. I think Alastor has contacts in the Ministry that can help us. Arthur might, too, come to think of it. You two can wait in the Gryffindor common room, if you like. I'll summon you when I hear from them."

They nodded and stood as Professor McGonagall opened the door and ushered them out.

Several hours later, Ron was pacing the common room impatiently while Hermione pored through several books from the Hogwarts library. After about ten minutes, he walked over and dropped into the seat next to her.

"Anything interesting in there?"

She shrugged and opened her mouth to reply, but just then the portrait hole swung open, and they looked up to see Neville Longbottom. 

"Neville!" Hermione cried, rushing over to him and throwing her arms around his neck. "It's so good to see you! How have you been?"

He patted her awkwardly on the back and grinned at Ron, who was looking at him through narrowed eyes.

"Oh, fine, I suppose, considering." He shrugged. "Doing my best to get by, what with everything that's been happening with the Death Eaters. But, um, anyway, Professor McGonagall sent me. She wants to see you in her office."

Hermione let go of him at once and turned to Ron.

"Well, let's go!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the portrait hole. "Thanks, Neville, we'll catch up with you later!" she shouted over her shoulder as the portrait swung shut. As soon as they were through, they ran to the headmistress's office, where they found Moody, Lupin, and Mr. Weasley waiting for them.

"Have you found them?" Hermione asked as soon as they were through the door.

Mr. Weasley nodded. "We've got their approximate location in time and place. Luckily, they didn't go back that far, or they would have been harder to find."

Ron looked puzzled, so he elaborated. "Magic leaves traces of itself that can tell you exactly what it was used for, if you know how to look, though the further back in time it goes, the harder it is to trace. Lucky for us, Harry and Ginny only went back seventeen years, so the traces were still pretty strong."

Hermione blinked. "Seventeen years?" she whispered, "Do you think he'll meet – "

"He already has," Mr. Weasley interrupted her. "We think he and Ginny are staying at their house, or they were last we checked." He frowned.

Ron looked confusedly at them. Hermione sighed and explained.

"He's met his parents, Ron."

His expression changed immediately from confusion to amazement, and he seemed too stunned to say anything.

"We've been…debating on what the best course of action is, actually, and we wanted your input," Lupin added. "It's very important that we get them back to the present so that the future is affected as little as possible. However, _who_ we send for them and _when_ we send them are rather delicate issues."

"I've _told_ you, it could cause irreversible damage the longer he stays!" snapped Professor McGonagall. "Time isn't something to be taken lightly!"

"How are we going to go back and get him?" asked Hermione timidly. "Can you use a Time-Turner to go that far back?"

"Oh, yeah," said Moody. "If we can get one, that is." He gave a crooked grin. "Most of 'em were smashed when you all broke into the Department of Mysteries. There are still one or two out there, don't worry," he added as Hermione's expression grew anxious. "Tonks might have one from when she was on duty, now I think on it. Anyway, if she don't, the Ministry should be able to get us one." He barked a harsh laugh. "They want Harry back as quick as possible so he can get rid of You-Know-Who for 'em."

Ron cleared his throat and stepped forward timidly, and all eyes turned to him.

"'Scuse me, but…well, I was wondering, d'you think it'll cause too much damage to the future for Harry to _stay_, at least for Christmas?"

Hermione opened her mouth to object, but he went on hastily before she could.

"I mean, think about it; it's the only time he'll ever get to be with his mum and dad! I know if it was me, I'd want to be with them as long as I could."

Moody hesitated, then shrugged. "Can't really say," he said gruffly. "Potter's had some experience with time travel, so he'll know not to mess with things. And his past self isn't developed enough to try to kill him."

"But will that be enough to restrain him?" asked Professor McGonagall. "If your parents were about to be murdered and you could stop it, would you do so? Even if it meant You-Know-Who could never be defeated?"

Ron looked hesitant, but took a deep breath and spoke anyway.

"But that's just it, isn't it? Harry _knows_ he's the only one who can stop You-Know-Who."

He looked at Professor McGonagall apologetically.

"I mean, if it comes down to a choice between saving his parents and saving the whole world, Harry'll choose the whole world. He'll agonize about it for ages and try to work out how to do both, but in the end, he'll choose us. He knows that's how it has to be because he's the only one who _can_ defeat You-Know-Who. He's supposed to be a hero; that's what he does. Why not let him have a bit of happiness before he has to save the world?" 

Professor McGonagall frowned sternly, but Lupin looked at him thoughtfully as Hermione nodded slowly in agreement.

"You're right," she said softly, staring at Ron, who slowly started turning red. "Harry feels like he has to be a hero for the wizarding world, and he's right, he _does_. He'll do the right thing, in the end. He won't want to, but he will."

"I agree with you, Ron, Hermione," Lupin said quietly. They looked at him in surprise, mouths agape, and McGonagall's gaze whipped sharply over to him as Moody frowned. "Harry understands his responsibility to the wizarding world. He may not like it, but he understands that he is the only one that can defeat Voldemort, even if he has to let his parents die. The least we can do is allow him one happy Christmas with them."

There was a moment of silence as everyone looked at Professor McGonagall, who seemed to be having a furious debate with herself. Finally, she sighed in defeat.

"I have my worries about it, but I trust that Mr. Potter will do the right thing and not try to change the course of time." She paused, and a small smile appeared on her face. "And I suppose you're right, Remus. The least we can do is let him spend Christmas with his parents." Ron grinned delightedly at this. "However, I do think we should send some of our people to keep an eye on the situation, and soon."

Moody nodded gruffly in approval. "Luckily, Christmas is only in three days, so he won't have time to do much damage," said Moody as he turned to Lupin and Arthur. "Who do you suggest? I was thinking of young Tonks, myself. Her Metamorphmagus skills'll be invaluable."

Lupin nodded. "She's also young enough not to be recognized. We need to send someone with her who's got some experience, but wasn't around then." He looked pointedly at Moody. "_We_ can't go, we're too recognizable. Unless you want to be drinking Polyjuice Potion the whole time." Moody grimaced as Lupin gestured at Ron and Hermione. "And _they're_ too young."

Ron opened his mouth furiously, but Hermione cut in before he could start.

"But Professor Lupin, shouldn't we go anyway? I mean, Harry _is _our best friend, and we can help explain the situation to him when we get there. He'll believe us. As for our being young, it's a _good_ thing because we won't be recognized!"

Moody nodded grudgingly. "She's got a point, Lupin."

Lupin sighed and ran a hand through his graying hair.

"Fine, but they need at least _one_ more experienced group member! Who do you suggest we send?"

"Why don't we contact Tonks first and see if she's even _got_ a Time Turner," Mr. Weasley broke in. "If she doesn't, we've got to try and get one from the Ministry, _if_ they have any more. Once we deal with that, we can contact the other Order members and see who's available to go with them."

Professor McGonagall didn't look happy at the delay, but inclined her head in agreement.

"I suppose that's all we can do for now," she said wearily. "Let me know as soon as you get in touch with Tonks."

"Don't worry, Minerva, we'll get everything straight," Lupin soothed as he, Moody, and Mr. Weasley walked to the fireplace. "We've got to."


	4. Complications

8

"Harry!"

He blinked and tore his eyes away from the calendar to glance at Ginny, who looked as if she had been trying to get his attention for a few minutes.

"Sorry," he said quickly. "What?"

She nodded wordlessly at James, who had just been joined by Lily on the other side of the small kitchen table. Both had their wands out and were pointing them threateningly at the pair. James looked grimly determined, and Lily appeared just as serious, though more inclined to listen than her husband.

Harry swallowed hard.

"Now, what's this all about? We _know_ something's going on, so you had better tell us what!" James said fiercely.

Without speaking, Harry slowly reached in his pocket and drew out his wand, holding it loosely between his thumb and forefinger. The Potters visibly tensed, their knuckles whitening around the handles of their wands, but remained silent as Harry placed his on the table in front of them and backed up a couple of steps. He motioned for Ginny to do the same. She looked at him incredulously, but slowly repeated his actions.

James and Lily were absolutely thunderstruck. James's wand hand actually dropped to his side, though Lily swiftly seized it and brought it back up to point at Harry and Ginny.

"Keep them until you're sure we're not Death Eaters, all right?" Harry said quietly.

Lily nodded and put the two wands in her pocket, glancing at Harry as if she were concerned that he would suddenly change his mind and try to take them back.

"Why don't we sit? This could take a while," he continued.

The Potters hesitated, but sat at the table while keeping their wands trained on the other pair.

Harry and Ginny sat, too. He slumped and wearily ran a hand through his hair. What was he going to tell them? What _could_ he tell them that wouldn't affect the future? He had to tell them _something_. Ginny patted his shoulder encouragingly, and he gave her a slight, wry smile. He took a deep breath and looked straight at his parents. They stared back expectantly.

"You probably won't believe me, but the truth is…I _am_ your son. My name is Harry James Potter—"

He was interrupted by James's furious shouts, which fought to be heard over the crash of the chair against the floor as he jumped to his feet.

"RUBBISH! Our son's not even a year old yet!" He glared at them and angrily brandished his wand at Harry, who sat quite still, his hands limp on the table. "And he's not here either, if you were planning on doing anything to him! He's safe and hidden, and you'll never find him!"

Lily put a placating hand on his arm, though she too looked more than a little upset.

"Calm down, James, and let him talk. We can decide to believe them or not _after_ we've heard the whole story."

James continued to glare balefully at Harry, looking as if he'd rather hex him into oblivion _now_ and find out the whole story _later_, but nodded tersely and sat again.

Harry took another deep breath. "This is my…friend, Ginny Weasley."

"Weasley? As in Molly and Arthur Weasley?" Lily interrupted. Harry nodded as James eyed her closely.

"You _do_ look a bit like a Weasley. We'll have to check your story with Arthur and Molly."

Ginny looked slightly alarmed, but nodded slowly. "Just…please be careful what you say. I don't think they know about me…yet."

James looked skeptical, but Lily nodded reassuringly to Ginny, who smiled in relief. Harry waited to see if there were any more questions, but James motioned for him to continue.

"It's 1997, almost '98, in our time. We were in the middle of a snowball fight when we stumbled across a stone circle outside Godric's Hollow…" He described the bright flash and their subsequent search for Ron and Hermione as James and Lily listened in silence.

"After we separated you showed up…and you know the rest."

"I don't think I believe it," James said, straightening abruptly. "Why were you in Godric's Hollow in the first place? How do we know you're not Death Eaters? And what proof do you have that you're really our son?" This last was spoken in a low growl, and Harry swallowed hard.

"I don't suppose I really have any proof that will convince you," Harry said slowly. "I can't tell you a private memory, since in this time I'm only a year old, and my appearance obviously isn't convincing you either. So I suppose you'll just have to believe me, unless you can think of some kind of proof I can give you. As for us not being Death Eaters…" He rolled up his sleeves and showed James his bare forearms, choosing to ignore his first question. Ginny did the same, but James just scowled.

"Fine, no Dark Marks. But you could be concealing them with magic! Or…something," he finished lamely.

Lily, however, looked thoughtful. "I remember reading something somewhere about stone circles being gateways through time. Wasn't Merlin famous for building one?" Harry and Ginny both shrugged as she continued, "I didn't know there was a circle nearby, though." 

"We could take you there tomorrow, if you like," Harry offered. Lily nodded absently as she pondered his words. Suddenly, she looked straight at him.

"Why _were_ you in Godric's Hollow? You never answered James's question."

Harry hesitated, unsure of how to explain without giving too much away. "I'm…I'm on a special mission for the Order of the Phoenix."

At the mention of the Order, the Potters started violently and aimed their wands furiously at him again.

"And how," James said softly, "do you know about the Order of the Phoenix?"

Harry blinked at him in surprise. "Er…I'm in it, in my time. Ginny's not, she's not of age yet, but—"

"I'm as good as!" she interjected sharply. "Just because I'm not seventeen yet—"

"I know, Ginny, I think it's stupid, too! They did the same thing to me nearly two years ago—"

"AHEM!"

They stopped at once and looked back at Lily and James, whom they had momentarily forgotten. James had a frown on his face again, albeit, a confused one, and Lily was looking at them curiously.

"I think we've heard what we need to, for now," she said after a moment's pause. "I'll take you two up to your room. There are a few people we need to contact."

Harry and Ginny nodded and rose. The Potters did, too, and Lily gestured for them to precede her out of the kitchen, her wand still trained on them. James continued to scrutinize them closely as they walked out.

Lily directed them up a set of stairs and down a short hallway to the guestroom. It was a small but brightly lit room painted a cheery yellow. It contained a dresser, a small bookcase full of books, a desk, a door that he assumed led to a closet, and…one double bed.

Harry's eyes widened and he looked at Lily in shock. He had not expected this.

"Um…you…you don't happen to have a…a…I dunno…a cot or something?" he stammered awkwardly.

Lily looked vaguely surprised and shook her head. "Actually, we don't. But there are some spare quilts and pillows in one of the bathroom cupboards, through there." She nodded at the door he'd thought was a closet and continued, smiling mischievously. "You might be able to make up a bed on the floor, if it's _that_ important to you."

Harry got the distinct impression that Lily was enjoying this, and would use his discomfort to keep him off-balance. He glanced at Ginny. _She_ didn't seem to be bothered by the idea that they might have to share a bed. At his look, she just shrugged and gave him a wry smile, as if to say, they would simply have to deal with the enforced closeness. He frowned in her general direction before pulling his attention back to Lily, who was asking them something.

"Do you have any luggage?"

"Er…no," Harry muttered. "We weren't exactly _planning_ this."

Lily laughed, though it sounded a little strained. "Right, I forgot for a moment."

She eyed their clothes, which were damp, even wet in places, from the snow. Their shoes were soaked through, and Ginny was shivering.

"I'll get you some of our clothes. You look like you're the same size as me, Ginny, and I'm _positive_ James's things'll fit you, Harry."

He nodded mutely, and Ginny murmured a thank you as she left, muttering what sounded like a spell as she walked through the door. She was back in a moment, carrying a stack of clothes that she laid on the bed.

"Since most of the villagers are Muggles, we dress like they do. There are a few other wizards, but we all try to blend in as much as possible. Hope you don't mind."

She turned to face them, suddenly stern, her hands on her hips. "Now, you can't leave this room unless we allow you to. We have a spell on your door _and_ the window that will prevent you leaving through either of them unless you're with one of us, and if you even _try_ to get out without permission, you won't like what happens."

They nodded nervously, and she spoke again in a gentler tone.

"It really shouldn't be that long; James told me Dumbledore said he'd be here in a moment. He might be downstairs now, actually."

"Oh, good! He'll know how to sort everything out!" Harry said in relief. Lily raised her eyebrows.

"You really know him then?"

"Yes, he's…was, the headmaster at Hogwarts." He faltered for a moment as he remembered that Dumbledore was no longer their headmaster. For a moment, he'd almost forgotten what had happened last June.

Lily looked at him curiously. "Was?"

Harry hesitated, cursing himself for the slip. "I…I really shouldn't say…"

Lily shrugged, but her eyes told him that she hadn't forgotten the subject. "I'll let you two get changed then. We'll come get you in a few minutes."

They looked at each other after she shut the door, a sudden awkwardness springing up between them.

"So…you want the bathroom or the bedroom to change in?" Harry asked.

"I'll take the bathroom, I suppose."

She started sorting Lily's clothes from James's, and held up a pair of embroidered bell-bottoms. She pulled a wry face. "At least they're not eighties clothes. Possibly the _worst_ fashion era _ever_!"

Harry chuckled as he watched her pull off her wet shoes. "Trust me, Ginny, you'd be pretty if you were wearing a potato sack." He blushed as he said this, and she gave him a flattered grin before waltzing into the bathroom to change.

He smiled to himself as he took off his own soaked trainers and changed into James's jeans, which, as Lily suspected, fit him perfectly. He'd just pulled his wet jumper over his head when Ginny emerged from the bathroom, damp clothes in hand.

"Oh!"

He jumped at her exclamation and managed to lose his glasses as they came off with the jumper.

"Ginny! I…I'm sorry, I didn't mean…erm…"

He squinted uncertainly in her general direction, and was relieved to hear her chuckle. He gave her an embarrassed smile.

"Harry, it's fine. I have six brothers! It's not like I haven't seen a bare male chest before. The number of times I've walked in on Ron in the shower because he forgot to lock the door…" She shuddered dramatically. "You have no idea how traumatizing that is."

He laughed at this as he picked up his jumper and dug around in it until he found his glasses. He settled them on his nose as everything, including Ginny, came back into focus. She was eyeing him appreciatively, but looked away as soon as she realized he could see her. His ears suddenly felt very warm as he grabbed James's jumper off the bed. He was strangely reluctant to put it on, and held it loosely for a second as he glanced at her again. She looked up at the same time, and their gazes locked.

The air between them suddenly hummed and crackled as they stood perfectly still, staring at each other. Ginny took two hesitant steps toward him, but before she could take a third and close the gap between them, the door opened. They both jumped, and Harry scrambled to pull the jumper over his head as Lily came into the room.

"Did I interrupt something?" she asked, a smile playing around her lips, as Harry tugged the wool down over his chest and stomach, glasses askew on his nose. Ginny blushed to the roots of her hair as Harry awkwardly straightened his glasses and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his borrowed jeans. He shook his head mutely.

"Good," she said briskly, humor vanishing. "Because Dumbledore's here, and he wants to talk with you."

Harry's head shot up and his eyes met Lily's, giving him the sensation of staring into a warped and discolored mirror. She looked away first, disconcerted, and motioned for them to precede her downstairs.

He let Ginny go first, and walked down the hallway nervously, feeling Lily's eyes on his back.

James was talking to another wizard when the three of them entered the kitchen; a tall old man with long silver hair that fell halfway down his back. He turned, and Harry felt himself struggling with a lump in his throat as he looked past half-moon spectacles and into twinkling blue eyes that had been dark and dull the last time he saw them.

"Ah. Am I correct in assuming that these are your imposters, James?" he said genially. James nodded and Harry opened his lips to protest, but couldn't seem to get the words out, and closed his mouth. Ginny saw his dilemma and came to his rescue.

"We're not imposters, sir," she said earnestly. "Just…in the wrong place at the wrong time."

He chuckled at that.

"And literally, too, if you are to be believed," he said. "Which I am inclined to do."


	5. Small Talk

9

Chapter 5: Small Talk

James opened his mouth to protest, but Dumbledore interrupted him before he could speak.

"I am a skilled Legilemens, as I believe you know James."

James nodded grudgingly and crossed his arms, scowling, as Dumbledore continued calmly.

"I wish to speak to the two of them alone."

"But sir!" burst James, "what if they try something?" Dumbledore raised his bushy eyebrows and stared over his glasses at James.

"I know I am old and decrepit, but nevertheless, I believe I am still capable of protecting myself from two _wandless_ young wizards."

James blinked, then nodded bashfully.

"Sorry sir. I forgot Lily had their wands."

Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling merrily.

"You are forgiven James. I must say, your concern gratifies me to no end. Now, if you please, could you and Lily please go into the sitting room? I will call you if I need anything."

James nodded and held out his hand to Lily, who took it and walked through the doorway into the sitting room. As soon as they were out of the room, Dumbledore gestured for Harry and Ginny to take their seats at the kitchen table. As they did so, he waved his wand and lit the lamps the Potters used for light, as it was now almost full dark. The sun had completely set, though the sky was still a dusky purple, and shadows were growing long and black.

He sat across the table from them and looked at them closely, steepling his long, gnarled fingers.

"And now, Mr. Potter and Miss. Weasley, how are we to begin?"

They blinked at him and then looked at each other, perplexed.

"Sir?" Harry asked tentatively.

Dumbledore smiled again. "I was merely thinking out loud, Mr. Potter."

_Mr. Potter_. It sounded so strange, coming from Dumbledore, who had always called him by his first name. Then again, everything was strange. Harry was finding it hard to believe that Dumbledore was sitting in front of him, alive and very much his usual, though slightly odd, self. He shook his head to get rid of the images of the last time he saw the headmaster, or rather, his body, and focused his attention back on the living Dumbledore, who had continued speaking.

"Why don't you start by telling me how you came here?"

Harry nodded and began relating the story of how he and Ginny had managed to go seventeen years backward in time. As he spoke, he felt an odd pressure in his skull, and images kept flickering through his mind, distracting him.

_He had just turned eleven and Hagrid was telling him he was a wizard…he saw his parents waving at him in the Mirror of Erised…he was thirteen and fighting tears as he watched his godfather fly away…he was fourteen and staring in horror as Voldemort was reborn…talking at the first meeting of Dumbledore's Army…_I must not tell lies_…he was surrounded by noise and cheers as he kissed Ginny in the Gryffindor common room…_Neither can live while the other survives_…Horcruxes…he stood in front of a gravestone covered in snow…_Lily and James Potter_…_greater love hath no one_…he stepped forward and grabbed Ginny as a bright light flashed around them…he was staring in shock into his mother's eyes…_

He broke the gaze he'd shared with Dumbledore and looked over at Ginny, who was frowning and shaking her head slowly, as if she had water in her ears. Harry heard Dumbledore clear his throat, and realized with a start that he had stopped talking ages ago.

"Sorry, sir," he said quickly. Dumbledore nodded absently, his now-troubled eyes fixed on Harry's.

"It seems you are who you claim to be, Mr. Potter," he said quietly. He looked at Ginny, who looked shakily back at him. "And you as well, Miss Weasley."

Harry let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, and smiled in relief as Dumbledore went on. "Now the question is, how to get you back? You appear to be on a mission of some importance, and you have friends who will worry about you, am I right?"

Harry nodded.

"Do you think we can use the stone circle again, sir?" Ginny asked tentatively, and Dumbledore turned to her.

"An excellent idea, Miss Weasley. However, we don't know how stable its magic is. If that is what brought you here, and I believe it is, it is very old, much older than myself, which is saying something. Also, from what I recall, these things tended to be more powerful at certain times of the year. For example, today was the Winter Solstice, and that probably had something to do with why the magic was still operational, even though the circle itself is so old."

"So…what do we do then, sir?" Ginny asked, and Dumbledore smiled wryly.

"I will have to consider that carefully, Miss Weasley. If the stone circle does not work, we will have to procure other means for your return, and that could be very difficult. I will examine the circle tomorrow, and then, well…we shall see."

Ginny nodded, satisfied, as Dumbledore turned to Harry, his expression clouded once more.

"Mr. Potter, may I speak to you alone for a moment?"

Harry hesitated and looked at Ginny, who met his eyes and gave a tiny nod before she stood and walked into the sitting room where his parents were waiting. He turned back to Dumbledore, who was regarding him gravely, almost sadly.

"What happened to them, Harry?" Dumbledore asked quietly, and a huge lump suddenly and unexpectedly rose in Harry's throat.

"I…I don't…"

"You lost them, didn't you?" interrupted Dumbledore. "To Voldemort" 

Harry didn't trust himself to speak, so he just nodded. He had a sudden, overwhelming urge to tell Dumbledore everything. He could fix it, he could make everything right! Maybe he could even find a way to keep his parents from dying…

He opened his mouth, ready to tell the headmaster everything, and then closed it again. He couldn't risk it. What if it changed something? What if Voldemort were never defeated and plunged the world into darkness, because of his selfish desire for a family that loved him? No. He wouldn't sacrifice the world for his happiness. If there was another way…but there wasn't.

"Do you even remember them?" Dumbledore asked gently. Harry shook his head and stared at the table in front of him.

"No."

They were both silent, and the stillness seemed to grow in the room until it was almost palpable. Harry had the strange feeling that he could reach out and touch the silence, could actually feel it with his fingers. When he made to speak, he almost felt that he should tear the silence in order to speak through it.

"Sir?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"What do you know of the prophecy Sybil Trelawney made?"

Dumbledore blinked at him, slightly disconcerted, and then smiled tightly.

"Ah yes, that prophecy. You have heard it, I suppose?"

Harry nodded, and Dumbledore continued, almost to himself, "Interesting…" He looked at Harry again shrewdly, and Harry had the sudden, uncomfortable feeling that he had just given something important away. But he had to know if they knew about it.

"Since you have apparently heard it, you know what it says. The Potters and the Longbottoms both are in hiding, though I believe the Potters to be in more danger than the Longbottoms. My…informant in Voldemort's organization tells me that Voldemort feels that young Harry Potter will be of greater danger to him than Neville Longbottom. Am I right, Harry?"

Harry was silent, and Dumbledore smiled again.

"Don't want to risk it? It's all right, you don't have to tell me. Although…" His gaze traveled up Harry's face to the scar that peeked through his fringe. "I rather suspect I am correct in this matter."

"How much do my parents know?" Harry asked, trying not to give anything away by his expression.

"They know that they and their son are in danger, but not why. I have told them that Voldemort believes that they are particularly dangerous to him, and they have accepted that. Although, I believe that Lily suspects something more."

Harry nodded, and rose. "Are we done, sir?"

Dumbledore looked at him, as though pondering the question, and then nodded.

"For now, Mr Potter. I will be returning to speak to you and Miss Weasley after I inspect the stone circle tomorrow. Expect me sometime in the late evening, as I may also have to inquire at the Ministry about Time Turners. Until then."

He stood and stepped to the door and opened it to reveal a small sitting room. Ginny was seated stiffly on the sofa, while Lily rocked steadily in a chair by the fire and James paced impatiently across the room. They all looked up when Dumbledore opened the door, relief evident on their faces. He motioned for all of them to re-enter the kitchen.

"I have determined that these young people are indeed telling the truth, and will be in touch with them about getting them back to their own time. However, that process will take a few days, as it is almost Christmas day and I may have to contact the Ministry. Besides, this is a wonderful opportunity for the two of you to get to know the man that your son will become."

James looked at Harry sharply, who flushed and unconsciously raised his hand to the back of his hair and ran it through. Lily noted the gesture, and a small smile appeared on her face. She turned back to Dumbledore and nodded.

"We'll be happy to have them…" she began, but was almost immediately interrupted by James.

"But we'll still be keeping their wands, just in case."

Behind him, Ginny frowned and crossed her arms over her chest, looking mutinous, but caught Dumbledore's eye and nodded grudgingly. Harry also showed his reluctant assent, and the headmaster smiled.

"I would not expect anything less, James. Now, if you will excuse me, it is getting late, and I am an old man who must be up early tomorrow. Good night to you all."

He bowed, walked out into the shadows, and disappeared.

He left silence behind him as the four of them stood awkwardly in the kitchen, trying to avoid one another's gazes. After a few seconds of this, as the kitchen clock ticked loudly, Lily cleared her throat.

"Why don't we go into the sitting room? It's a bit more comfortable."

The rest nodded silently and walked across the kitchen to the sitting room, where they tried to arrange themselves comfortably. Harry and Ginny sat next to each other on the sofa, while Lily took her place in the rocking chair, and James threw himself into an overstuffed chair between them.

"So, Harry," Lily began, in an effort to make conversation. "What year did you say you are at Hogwarts?"

"Well…I'm a seventh-year. Ginny's in her sixth."

"And how do you like it?" she pressed, determined to draw them out. Harry glanced at Ginny.

"It's all right, I suppose. Lots of work. N.E.W.T.s, you know."

She smiled. "Yes, I remember that year. And James and I had Head Boy and Girl duties in addition to all of our studying! Did you make Head Boy?" she asked, then went on hastily. "It's not a bad thing if you didn't, I was just wondering. I mean, I was surprised James managed it!" She shared a grin with her husband.

"Biggest surprise of my life," he announced. "Sirius wouldn't talk to me for days, except to comment on how I'd failed him as a Marauder – " he looked abruptly at Harry. "You know about us, right? I'm sure I've told you loads of stories."

Harry grinned at this. "McGonagall always says I'm following in your footsteps. I've even got the map!" He and his father shared a conspiratorial look, and then he turned back to his mother. "Sorry to disappoint though, didn't make Head Boy. Broke too many rules. I made Quidditch Captain though, last year, so that's something."

The smile on James' face was so huge Harry was half afraid it would split in two.

"Excellent! What position d'you play? I was Chaser, myself."

"Seeker. Youngest in a century, actually. I made the team my first year."

James looked properly impressed, and slightly smug at producing such an extraordinary Quidditch player.

Just then, there was a knock on the back door, causing them all to jump. James leapt up and ran to the kitchen, clutching his wand.

"It's all right! It's Sirius, with Harry!" he shouted, and the others relaxed. Lily got up and walked over to Harry and Ginny.

"Stay here," she said in a low voice. "I don't want Sirius to see you."

They nodded, and she slipped into the kitchen after James.

Harry glanced over at Ginny, who gave him a wry sort of half-smile.

"Kind of makes you wish you had Fred and George's Extendable Ears, doesn't it?" she asked, and he chuckled softly. A moment later, Lily re-entered the room, wand in hand, and nodded towards the kitchen door.

"James is outside with Sirius," she said quietly. "Let's get you two on up to your room."

They nodded and preceded her through the door and back upstairs to their room. It was full night now, and Lily lit their lamp with her wand before walking to the door. However, before leaving them for the night, she hesitated.

"Am I a good mother?" she asked abruptly, turning as she stood in the doorway. "I mean, you don't have to tell me any of the particulars; I know you don't want to mess with time. But…I just wanted to know…"

Harry pondered her question, unsure of how to answer. He was sure she would have been a good mother, but seeing as how she'd died for him, he honestly didn't know. He started to squirm under her gaze.

"You're the best mother ever," he said finally, looking straight into her eyes. She smiled, and sighed.

"Good. I mean, well, you know…I think I will be but…it's nice to be reassured that I did a good job."

Harry looked at her as a lump suddenly rose in his throat. "You did. You're the reason I am who I am. You're the reason I'm here."

Tears suddenly shimmered in his eyes and threatened to spill down his cheeks, and he blinked rapidly. Ginny put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently, and he covered it with his own. Lily looked taken aback by his sudden emotion. She took a step towards him, questions in her eyes, but remained silent. She stared at him, and then, hesitantly, reached out and wrapped him in a warm, comforting embrace. It was all he could do to keep from bursting into sobs right there. He held himself rigidly, not daring to reciprocate the gesture, and after a moment, she dropped her arms and left the room wordlessly.

As soon as she was gone, he turned and wrapped his arms around Ginny, clinging tightly to her. She stroked his neck and back soothingly as he wept into her hair, his shoulders shaking. She held him until he quieted, and his desperate grip had loosened. He took a few deep breaths, and wiped his face roughly on his sleeve before turning abruptly and sitting on the bed.

"Sorry," he said quietly, not looking at her. She sat next to him and covered his hand with hers.

"There's nothing to be sorry for," she said, reaching for his face with her other hand and gently wiping at the traces of tears that were still visible. "She's your mother, and you've never met her. I imagine, if it were me, that I'd act the same way." She drew him into her arms.

"At least you have this time with them. Just…make it count." 

He nodded wordlessly, then sighed deeply and disentangled himself from her. As much as he wanted to stay there all night, he knew he couldn't.

"So," he said, avoiding her gaze. "What do we do about tonight?"


	6. Nightfall

8

Chapter 6: Nightfall

After a short but heated argument about where he would sleep that night, Harry padded into the bathroom to change into a pair of James's pajamas and get the spare bedding. Before he entered he glanced back over his shoulder and saw Ginny scowling at the back of his head, and the corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily. She never gave up, did she?

"I'm kind of regretting giving them my wand about now. At least then I could cast some kind of heating spell or light some of that bluebell fire Hermione likes so much, since my parents apparently don't have heat," he said ruefully as he stood in the doorway.

She gave a short laugh and shook out the gown Lily had lent her for the night. It was made of a creamy flannel, except for a bit of lace around the neckline, and would hit her at the knee. Harry's mouth went dry and he stared at her, temporarily unable to move as he imagined how she would look in it. It wasn't that it was a particularly provocative garment either, it was just that it was…_a nightgown_. She glanced coyly at him and raised her brows.

"Well? Close the door so I can change!"

He nodded dumbly and obeyed. As soon as the door was shut he leaned both hands on the sink and took several deep breaths in an attempt to get a grip on himself.

_I _have_ to stop thinking of her like that! I've got to convince myself to think of her as _just_ a friend, and nothing more. _He shook his head and tugged James's pajamas over his legs before digging through the cupboard for bedding.

"I still don't see why you're insisting on this," Ginny grumbled, her voice carrying through the closed bathroom door as Harry pulled spare blankets and quilts from the cupboard. He sighed and paused to rub his temples. His head was still raging from when Dumbledore performed Legilimency on them, and his disagreement with Ginny wasn't helping any.

"I told you, I don't want to make this any harder than it already is!" he said irritably.

"So you're going to spend the night on a hard floor under thin blankets and freeze to death because you just can't _bear_ to lie next to me. That will help the situation _immensely_," she replied.

He snorted and stumped out of the bathroom, his arms full of blankets and a couple of thin pillows. He supposed the Potters weren't used to having company. Not company that slept in more than one bed, anyway.

He walked stiffly around the bed and started laying the blankets on the floor at its foot. They made a sad little pile. The two pillows barely augmented it. He sighed again. This was going to be a long night.

"I have an idea," Ginny said brightly. He looked at her suspiciously as she continued. "Why don't you take the bed, and I'll sleep on the floor?" He raised an eyebrow and gave her a look that clearly said that wasn't going to happen.

"Well, it was worth a try, anyway," she said, shrugging.

He finished laying the blankets out and stretched out on top of one, then drew the other up over himself. The floor under him was hard and cold, and he shivered. It was almost as if the blanket wasn't there.

"G'night, Ginny," he called from the floor.

"Good night, Harry," she replied, though her tone said that she clearly hoped it wouldn't be.

He smiled wryly as she blew out the lamp and burrowed beneath her sheets. He'd have liked to do the same, but didn't have enough covers to do so. After five minutes of shifting around, he realized that there was no way he was ever going to be comfortable, and resigned himself to an uncomfortable night on the hard floor. He'd done it before, after all, on his eleventh birthday. Granted, that had been in the middle of summer, and not the end of December, but still, he'd managed it. He shivered again, and heard Ginny sigh.

"Harry, I appreciate that you're trying to be gentlemanly, but you won't get any sleep and you just might get frostbite. Come to bed, I promise I won't try to seduce you."

He choked with laughter at this and was silent for what seemed like an hour. She spoke again.

"Think of me, then, if you're determined to be noble. I won't get any sleep because I'll be worrying about you, you annoying prat."

He smiled in the dark and thought about refusing again, but then sighed and got up. He brought his bedding with him and slipped under the covers next to her. The warmth and softness were so markedly different from the hard chill of the floor that he immediately relaxed, almost moaning in relief at how lovely it was.

For a moment he forgot that he and Ginny were only supposed to be friends, and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, the heat of her skin radiating through the soft flannel gown. She made a noise that sounded rather like, "Mmm…." and buried her face in the juncture of his neck and shoulder, making goose bumps run up his arms. Harry nuzzled her hair and started moving his hands over her back, but just before his mind slipped away completely, he remembered why he had nearly spent the night on the floor and why he shouldn't be this close to her. His hands stilled, and he pushed himself away and reluctantly turned over.

She made a frustrated noise and propped herself up on one elbow, grabbing his shoulder with her other hand and pulling him towards her.

"Harry, we can't keep doing this."

He sighed, turned to face her, and found himself gazing into troubled brown eyes.

"I know," he said simply. "That's why I wanted to sleep on the floor. When I'm this close to you, it's almost impossible for me to stay away from you, and I have to, so—"

"So I'll be safe," she interrupted softly. "I know, Harry, I know, you've said that before. But think about this—I'm in as much danger as anyone else you care about. My hand on Mum's clock is pointing to 'mortal peril' just like the rest of my family. Hogwarts isn't safe anymore, Dumbledore's gone… and Snape probably thinks we're still together and will tell Tom anyway."

She paused, then continued gently, "And besides, you're killing yourself over it, I can tell. Hermione told me you never smile anymore, and I've never seen you so miserable. Dumbledore told us that the greatest weapon of all is love, so why are you shutting it out of your life?"

She stopped speaking abruptly as she realized what she'd just said, and the pair of them stared into each other's eyes for what seemed an eternity before she broke the silence one last time.

"Just make sure you keep that in mind when you finally decide if you want to be with me or not. But don't keep… _teasing_ me with these little hugs and kisses and longing looks. Either be my boyfriend, or be my friend. Because my heart is breaking, too."

Her voice quivered at this last, and she turned over quickly and buried her face in her pillow. Harry started to reach for her, to comfort her, but then hesitated. He didn't want to hurt her more. He heaved a great sigh and turned away, knowing he wouldn't sleep he felt Ginny weeping quietly beside him.

In the other bedroom down the hall, Lily sighed as she sat and rocked her infant son to sleep. They'd moved his crib into their room, for the night at least. James still didn't fully trust their guests, and while Lily was inclined to believe them, she also didn't want to take any chances that she might be wrong.

She looked down at her son's sleeping face, lit by the soft light of the single candle by the bed, and smiled tenderly. She would do anything for him, even die for him if she had to, she loved him so much. Lily played gently with his baby-fine hair, already sticking up in the back, like his father's. Like the hair of the boy in the guest room.

She frowned at the thought and stood, her movements slow so as not to wake him. She padded softly to his crib and laid him gently in it, tucking his favorite stuffed toy next to him and smoothing the coverlet over his little body. Lily stood at the side of Harry's crib, just looking at him and thinking. She almost didn't hear when James entered the room and walked quietly to stand behind her. He put his arms around her shoulders, and she rested her head against his and covered one of his hands with hers.

"I see it, you know," she whispered.

"The resemblance?" he asked quietly. She nodded and raised her head to look him in the eyes.

"To you and to the boy in the guest room."

His face became troubled, and he turned and went to the dresser. He pulled out a pair of pajamas and brought them over to the bed, but instead of putting them on, he held them loosely before setting them on the bed. After laying them down, he sat and scrubbed his face with his hands. Lily moved away from the crib and sat beside him.

"We have to trust Dumbledore, James," she said after they had sat in silence for a few minutes. "And…" she hesitated before continuing, "I believe them."

He raised his head and gave her a piercing look.

"But how can you be sure?" he asked hoarsely. "I mean, I know Dumbledore believes them, but let's face it, Lily, he's a trusting man. I just don't trust as easily as either one of you."

"I know you don't, James, but you don't see them like I do."

"How do you see them?"

She squirmed slightly on the mattress as she tried to think of how to explain it to him.

"It's… it's not really something I can describe. I just… I just know. I see… echoes, I suppose, in our son and in Harry. I can see parts of you in him, and parts of me, and… and I know." She sighed. "You just have to trust me, James." She looked directly into his worried eyes, and her gaze was sad. "Trust Dumbledore then, if you don't trust me."

His expression changed in an instant from uncertainty to concern, and he pulled her to him.

"Oh, Lily, no, I didn't mean it like that! I trust your judgment, I do! I'm just… worried, that's all. I don't want to lose you or Harry, and I'm not sure of them yet!" He heaved a heavy sigh and his head dropped onto her shoulder.

"But I trust you. And I trust Dumbledore, so I'll at least try. All right?"

She smiled at him as he raised his head and he gave a tentative smile back. He leaned forward and nuzzled her nose with his, and as she giggled, his smile grew wider. He pulled her into a gentle kiss that deepened and grew passionate until they broke away gasping. He reached for her again, but she pushed him back.

"James! The baby's _right there_!"

"But he's not even one yet! He doesn't know what's going on, and he's asleep anyway."

But she shook her head, half smiling to soften the refusal. James groaned and grumbled as he reluctantly pulled away, and Lily slipped out of his arms to change into her nightgown. He pulled on his pajamas as Lily got into bed, then followed her and curled around her as she lay on her side. They remained that way as they drifted slowly from consciousness and into uneasy dreams.

At the Burrow, Hermione couldn't sleep. She'd stared at the ceiling above Ginny's bed for the past two hours, running through all the things that could go wrong when they traveled through time tomorrow. When she'd thought about everything so much that her thoughts started going in circles, she'd given up and gone downstairs. She had the vague idea that a cup of tea might make her sleepy, but instead of going to the kitchen, her feet brought her to the Weasley's sitting room.

She stopped for a moment at the doorway, and was surprised to see Ron slumped on the overstuffed sofa, apparently lost in thought. She padded softly over to him and laid a hand on his arm, expecting him to look up and give her one of his heart-stopping smiles. Instead, he jumped and gave a muffled yell while groping in his pocket for his wand.

"Hermione!" he gasped as she jerked her hand away. "Don't _do_ that! My heart's going _that_ fast!"

"Sorry," she said tentatively, curling up next to him on the sofa. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's all right," he assured her as he draped his arm around her shoulders, which she took as a cue to scoot a tiny bit closer than she normally would have. "Just didn't expect anyone to be up at this hour."

Hermione smiled. "Neither did I." Her smile changed into a curious expression. "What are _you_ still awake for? You can usually sleep through anything."

Now it was his turn to smile, though somewhat bashfully. "I was… thinking. Kept wondering what I was getting myself into."

"Oh, Ron, everything will be all right, you'll see. There shouldn't be any problems tomorrow with the Time-Turner Moody got for us, and Tonks is an experienced Auror. She'll know what to do on a mission like this. It's not even that dangerous! Voldemort won't be looking for us, or even know we're there."

"I know, but…" he hesitated, and began stroking her hair absently, apparently oblivious to the way that her entire body went very still and tense. "What if we mess things up? Or worse, what if something goes wrong and we get lost in time?"

Ron glanced down and took her hand, to her surprise. He'd never done that before, unless he was trying to drag her somewhere. But this time he held it gently, carefully, as if he were afraid he'd break it. He studied it, running his fingers over her knuckles and tracing the veins that laced their way down the back of her hand and around her wrist. His touch both comforted and thrilled her, and she could feel goose bumps rising on the arm he held.

"I don't want to lose you," he murmured to himself as he tightened his grip on her hand, not noticing the effect he was having on her. But then, he never really noticed.

She reached up and tilted his chin with her other hand so that she was looking into his wide blue eyes. Hermione sometimes thought she could get lost in those eyes; those endless blue eyes that seemed to draw her in and swallow her. This was one of those times.

"You won't lose me, Ron," she said softly, "don't worry."

They stared at each other for a long, still moment. He _wanted_ to kiss her; she could see it in the way he looked at her! Hermione's heart was thundering in her ears, and she closed her eyes.

_Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me… please kiss me… _she pleaded silently.

And he did. But it was a chaste, brotherly kiss on her forehead, not the passionate lover's kiss one she wanted on her mouth. Maybe she'd only seen what she'd wanted to see.

She let out the breath she'd been holding in a whooshing sigh as he pulled her close and held her tightly. She tucked her head under his chin so that she wouldn't have to look at him. They'd been so close this time she'd almost thought he felt the same way she did.

Almost. However, he obviously still thought of her as his best friend, nothing more.

Hermione snuggled deeper into Ron's chest as his breathing slowed, figuring that she'd better take what she could get, since she couldn't have what she wanted.

She didn't see the smile that slowly blossomed on his face as she cuddled closer to him.

_Just a moment longer… I'll go soon. Don't want to upset the Weasleys in the morning…_she told herself as she closed her eyes.

But soon her breathing fell into the same rhythm as his, and the pair of them drifted off in each other's arms, neither knowing that they were dreaming of each other.


	7. The Rescue Party

8

Chapter 7: The Rescue Party

Ron and Hermione left the Burrow the next morning with a widely grinning Tonks, followed by a furious Mrs. Weasley.

"I thought I taught you better, Ronald Weasley! If Hermione's parents found out that the two of you _fell asleep_ together in _my house _– I never would have _thought_ – "

"We have to go Mum!"

"Goodbye, Mrs. Weasley!"

"See you later, Molly!"

With that, the three of them Apparated to the forest outside Godric's Hollow before she could say another word.

"Right, you two," Tonks began as soon as they'd arrived. "We're going back to the twenty-third of December, 1980. I don't know exactly what Harry's told them, but we need to stay away from the Potters until we can talk to him and find out what's going on. Have you lot got anyway of contacting him when we get there, or do we just need to wait until we see him out alone?"

"We haven't got any secret way of contacting him, other than the usual ways, so I suppose we'll just have to get him alone somehow," Hermione said apologetically. "I mean, I suppose we could owl him…" But Tonks was already shaking her head.

"No, no, too risky that. We can't risk any contact with anyone but Harry or Ginny until we know what's going on." She sighed. "Guess we'll just have to get one of them on their own and explain everything. Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Did McGonagall or Moody brief you about what exactly it is we'll be doing?"

Hermione nodded, but Ron looked at the ground and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "Wasn't paying attention." Hermione looked exasperated, and Tonks sighed.

"Brilliant. It's like this: most Time-Turners only work backward; you've got to live the time forward from when you went back. There were a few special ones made that took you forward too, but those were all broken in the Department of Mysteries. So, we can get back to 1980, but we've got to use another way to get back or we'll be stuck." Ron looked stricken at this, but she ignored the expression on his face and continued. "Lucky for us, the stone circle you lot found still works, and Arthur reckons it's stable enough to get the five of us back. He said it's strongest on the solstices, the equinoxes, and New Year's Eve. Since the Winter Solstice has just passed and New Year's is in a week or so, we'll be coming back then. That gives Harry a nice long visit with his folks, but not long enough for him to do any major damage, with any luck."

She looked at her watch, and beckoned them nearer, grinning again. "Right then, get as close as you can, not that you mind any, I'm sure."

Hermione blushed at this, and Ron's ears turned red as he shuffled closer to the two girls. Tonks took out the Time-Turner she wore around her neck, and threw its long, thin chain around their heads. It was different from the one Hermione had worn in third year. This one was much larger, and silver rather than gold. Tonks turned it seventeen times, and everything around them blurred.

They appeared in the woods by the village a few minutes later. The trees around them were slightly smaller, and the snow wasn't quite as thick on the ground, but other than that, the clearing was the same as it would be in seventeen years. Tonks looked around and started in the direction of Godric's Hollow. However, she'd barely taken two steps before she stopped abruptly and whirled to face Ron and Hermione. As a result, Ron crashed into her and they both started falling. His flailing hand grabbed onto Hermione's arm in a vain attempt to stop their descent, but instead dragged her down too, and the three of them tumbled to the ground in a tangle of arms and legs.

"Ow, Ron! That was my eye!"

"Sorry, Hermione. Hey, Tonks, what'd you have to go and stop like that for?"

"What'd you have to go and run into her like that, Ron?" Hermione snapped before Tonks could answer. "Maybe if you'd watched where you were going, you wouldn't have knocked her over!"

"Oh, fine, blame me now, why don't you? It's not like I did it on purpose!"

"Can you two _please_ stop arguing so we can straighten ourselves out? We've got a job to do!" Tonks reminded them before they could get into a shouting match. The two of them complied, though they kept looking daggers at each other. When they'd all finally managed to stand and brush themselves relatively snow-free, Hermione asked Tonks, more politely than Ron, why she'd suddenly stopped.

"Oh, right, I forgot, we need to get our cover straight. You know, who we are, why we're here, et cetera. I was thinking I could pretend to be your mum, Hermione." Her short pink hair suddenly sprang into a wild, bushy mane streaked with grey, and her face morphed into an older, more careworn version of Hermione's.

Hermione grinned. "Well, it's close enough, though I actually look a bit more like my dad. It's his hair I've got; Mum's is lovely and smooth. You'll convince everyone else, though," she added quickly. "But what about Ron? I mean," she continued, her cheeks turning brilliantly pink, "we don't look enough alike to be siblings, I don't think."

Tonks smirked widely at this. "I was actually thinking he could be… a very good friend of yours, come on holiday with us. You two could even pretend to be going out," she teased, and Ron flushed as red as his hair. He glanced hesitantly over at Hermione.

"Er… that makes a bit of sense… What do you think, Hermione?"

"Well," she mumbled, "It does make sense. I mean, if you were just a friend, you'd be spending the Christmas holidays with your family and not me, wouldn't you? So, we should probably say that."

Ron nodded silently as he examined his shoes, and Tonks chuckled. "Right, that's settled then. Do you think the Roaring Lion's still here? We need a place to stay, after all."

"The sign said it'd been here for fifty years when we stayed at it in the future, so yes, I'd say it's probably still here. Are we going to stay there?" Hermione asked.

"If there's a room available. These little towns are usually a bit crowded around Christmas, what with family visiting each other and such. If it's full, we might have to camp out here for a while." Ron groaned at this, and she shrugged.

"Sorry, but if it comes down to it, that's what we'll have to do. But let's go check on that before we start preparing for the worst."

The three of them trudged into town, their bags slung over their shoulders. The Roaring Lion was the first building they encountered, and as they entered it, Tonks suddenly became motherly.

"Are you very cold, dear?" she asked Hermione in a worried tone as she brushed snow from her hair. "Goodness, your trousers are soaked! We need to get you into a hot bath before you catch cold."

She turned to the clerk as Hermione bit her lip to keep from smiling.

"Good morning, have you got a room available? We've come a rather long way, and we're a bit tired."

The clerk started flipping through a ledger and running his fingers down its pages. He didn't seem to find anything until he came to the last page.

"Ah, you're in luck, the Coopers just checked out. We've got to tidy up the rooms a bit, and then you can—"

"I'm afraid we need to check in immediately, my daughter's soaked through," Tonks interrupted him. "We don't mind the rooms not being cleaned now, you can send someone up later."

The clerk stared open-mouthed at her, and she returned the gaze imperiously. He shut his mouth with an audible snap before stammering, "You…you don't mind…are…are you sure you don't mind? Bit unusual…I mean, it'll be a couple of hours before the maid can get to them…are you sure?"

Tonks sighed and said condescendingly. "As I said, we're a bit tired, and my daughter needs to change into some dry things. We really just want to be able to drop our baggage off and recover; we'll be going out again soon to get something to eat, so the maid can just clean then. All right?" The clerk hesitated, but nodded before handing her a set of keys and pointing up the stairs.

"It's room eleven, just up there. I'll send a maid 'round in a couple of hours, if that's all right with you, madam?"

She smiled at him. "That would be absolutely lovely, thank you. Come dears," she called over her shoulder to Hermione and Ron as she headed towards the stairs. They followed her, silent until they'd entered their rooms and shut the door. As soon as it was closed, Ron burst into laughter.

"That was bloody brilliant, Tonks," he gasped, holding his sides. "I thought the poor Muggle's eyes were going to pop out of his head!"

Hermione was giggling behind her hands, and even Tonks was grinning as she set down her bags.

"Well, it was easy, really," Tonks said modestly. "I just pretended to be Molly."

That sent the other two into more peals of laughter, and it was a few minutes before they'd all calmed down enough to start being serious.

"Right, reconnaissance. Hermione, Ron, I want you to go into town together. Act all lovey-dovey and such, I'm sure it won't be that hard," Tonks said, grinning. Hermione opened her mouth to retort, but before she managed, Tonks had moved on. "Go into a couple of shops; pretend you're Christmas shopping or something. At some point, I want you to split up and start looking for Harry, Ginny, or any sign of the Potters. If you can't get Harry or Ginny alone, try and find out where they're staying by following the Potters or something."

She handed them both small hand mirrors, which they pocketed. "Just speak into these to get in touch with me; I'll be doing the same thing as you. If anyone asks, we're spending Christmas here because it's just me and Hermione, and we wanted to go somewhere new for the holidays."

The two of them nodded and headed towards the door of their room, but Tonks called them back.

"Wait, we need to decide on names. Hermione, yours is fine, but Ron's got to be called something besides Weasley. If the Potters hear someone claiming to be Arthur Weasley's son is interested in them, there'll be trouble, since you're only a few months old. Anything in particular you want to be called?"

"Um…I dunno…Wagner? It's close enough to my name I'll remember it."

Tonks nodded. "Good. And I'll be Elizabeth Granger. Remember that if anyone asks, though I don't think many will unless we stay very long. All right, off you go then. I want a word or two with the hotel manager before I leave." She turned and began digging in her bag as the pair of them left the room and went downstairs to the streets.

Godric's Hollow wasn't particularly large, though it wasn't especially small either. It had four relatively large streets that met in the center of the town and formed a square where most of the administrative buildings were. There were lots of side streets and alleyways as well, with many little shops and restaurants hidden among the houses. A few of them looked to be magical, though it was only apparent if you knew what to look for.

Hermione smiled and laced her fingers through Ron's, who started and looked down in surprise. She continued to smile as she rose on her toes to reach his ear.

"We're supposed to be going out, remember?" she hissed softly, slightly put out that he'd forgotten already.

"Oh, right, sorry," he whispered back as they started ambling down the street. "It's just a bit…odd, you know? Not that it's bad or anything," he added hastily as Hermione furiously opened her mouth. "It's…it's rather nice, actually."

At that, Hermione's eyes widened, and she shut her mouth abruptly. Ron ran his free hand through his hair nervously and pulled her towards the nearest building to take her attention off of him.

"Erm, let's see what's in here, shall we?" he mumbled as he shoved open the door to the shop.

The clerk looked up, and seemed to be surprised to see them before plastering a large smile on his face and stepping around the counter to greet them.

"Hello young sir, young miss. Welcome to Gaspard's Glorious Gems! Looking for anything in particular?"

Ron just stared at him, appalled, as Hermione giggled behind her free hand. His mouth opened and closed a couple of times, but nothing came out. Finally, Hermione took pity on him and told the clerk that they weren't looking for anything in_ particular_, but would let him know if they found anything. He smiled and nodded before going back behind the counter, though his eyes followed them as they wandered around the store.

Hermione stopped in front of an opulent diamond necklace and turned to face Ron. He looked down at her in pleased surprise as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I rather like that one, don't you, dear?" He nodded placidly before looking down at the price tag, and choked.

"Ten thousand Galleons!" he whispered furiously in her ear. Her eyebrows rose, and she looked at the tag.

"That's ten thousand pounds," she whispered back, smiling. He frowned.

"What's that in Galleons?" he hissed.

"I don't know, I'm not sure what the exchange rate is. It's probably something like five thousand Galleons."

"Five thousand…" he looked pained. "Can't believe someone would pay that much for it. Can't believe anyone but Narcissa Malfoy would even _wear_ it. Bit ostentatious, if you ask me. You weren't being serious about liking it, were you?" he asked in a vaguely suspicious manner. 

"Oh, don't be silly, Ron!" She looked back at the necklace. "It really is a bit much for me. I prefer the simpler ones."

Ron made a mental note of this as they moved away from the case. The other pieces in the shop were along the same lines as the necklace: extravagant and over-priced. Hermione walked out after only a few more minutes of browsing, and Ron followed her gratefully across the street into a Muggle sweetshop. He looked around in approval.

"Now, this is more like it!" he said enthusiastically, but his face fell a few minutes later as he realized that none of the sweets did anything interesting, like the wizarding Fizzing Whizbees or Chocolate Frogs. However, that didn't stop him from filling a bag full of toffee pieces, sherbet lemons, chocolate éclairs, and wine gums. He waved the bag at Hermione, who seemed to be hesitating.

"Aren't you going to get something, Hermione?" he asked.

"Well," she said uncertainly, "Mum never lets me get any Muggle sweets; always wants me to get sugar-free things, so I'm not really sure what to get."

Ron looked at her for a moment before grabbing another bag and filling it with small amounts of everything in the store and handing it to her.

"There you go, you should find _something_ in there you like." She smiled at him and nodded before going to the counter. Ron reached in his pocket to pay, but then remembered that he didn't have any Muggle money. His face fell as he slowly drew his hand out of his pocket and shuffled up to her.

"Hermione, how're we going to pay for this?" he whispered. She opened her bag and took out a couple of pound notes. "Don't worry, your dad gave me some Muggle money from this time last night," she whispered back as she handed the notes to the clerk.

"Oh, all right," Ron mumbled. "I wanted to pay for you, though."

She smiled again. "Well, since it was your dad that gave me the notes, it's a bit like you are," she said as she tucked the change back into her bag. "He said I should keep it since I knew how to use it, but really, it's yours too."

He nodded slowly as they exited the store, the little bell above the door tinkling merrily as they left.

They wandered through a few more shops, but didn't buy anything. Hermione had to drag Ron away from an electronics store on the next street, as he kept exclaiming loudly that nothing in the shop made any sense.

"Ron," she whispered, gripping his elbow tightly as she ushered him away from the very confused clerk, "you can't go around saying things like that!"

"But I was just asking – " he began hotly, but stopped abruptly and grabbed her arm before he'd finished his sentence.

"Hermione," he hissed, "Is that Harry? Over there, down the street across the way?"

Hermione frowned and squinted at the figure Ron was pointing at. "It looks like Harry, but it might be his dad…I mean, you know how everyone always says they're nearly identical, and something about him seems off. Let's try and get a bit closer."


	8. LastMinute Details

6

Chapter 8: Last-Minute Details

Harry and Ginny barely spoke to each other the next morning as they followed the smell of scrambled eggs down the stairs.

Lily looked up from the stove as they entered the kitchen. "Good morning! Breakfast will be ready in a minute; I hope you like scrambled eggs and toast. There's milk and juice on the table and water's boiling for tea, so help yourselves. Did you sleep well?"

Ginny mumbled something and Harry shrugged as he grabbed the carton of orange juice. Lily's forehead wrinkled and she gave them a worried glance as she turned back to the stove. A moment later, James waltzed into the room with baby Harry.

His older self looked at the child curiously. It was so…odd, to watch himself squirming in his father's arms and yet to be sitting at the kitchen table.

"Morning, love!" James said cheerfully as he kissed Lily enthusiastically on both cheeks. She laughed, kissed him briefly on the lips, and took Harry from him.

"Good morning to you, too. And how's my darling boy?" She cooed at her son, watching a grin break across his round face.

"Ma, ma, ma!" he babbled delightedly, and she laughed again as she put him in his high chair. "Dear, could you see to breakfast? It's almost ready, just make sure the eggs don't burn," she called from the table. However, she needn't have bothered. James had already turned to the stove and was engaged in scraping the eggs onto a large plate. He carried it to the table and laid it down with an elaborate flourish.

"Breakfast is served!"

Harry couldn't help the grin that formed on his face at his father's antics, and even Ginny looked slightly more cheerful than she had a minute ago. James headed back to the kitchen, where he started stacking toast on a plate.

"Go ahead and eat, we don't stand on ceremony here," he called over his shoulder. He brought the toast to the table, a piece already in his hand as he set the plate down.

No one spoke for the next few minutes as everyone tucked in. The table wasn't silent, however; rather the opposite, as forks clattered against plates and baby Harry giggled and shouted around spoonfuls of mush, most of which ended up on his mother.

When they'd all had their fill and Lily had started picking up plates, James cleared his throat and looked at her.

"Er…Lily, my flower," he began, and she raised an eyebrow.

"Your flower? The last time you called me that you'd managed to explode a casserole all over the kitchen and we had to order take-out." Ginny choked and started coughing, and Harry pounded her on the back while ducking his head to hide his grin.

"Er…well, I still have a bit of Christmas shopping to do…" James turned red as Lily narrowed her eyes at him.

"Left it rather late, have you?" she asked, and he nodded sheepishly. She shook her head. "Why you always wait until the last minute, I'll never know."

"Well, I've done most of it! There're just one or two things I need to pick up, that's all!" James said defensively. "Besides, I was thinking Harry could come along, too; you know, so he can, er, _get out of the house_."

The emphasis he put on the last words seemed to bother her, and she stood. Frowning, she pulled him away from the table and into the sitting room. Harry and Ginny strained their ears to hear, but only caught a few whispered words.

"…don't want him in the house…you'll be alone…baby…"

Harry sighed softly. He could see the sympathetic look Ginny threw at him through his fingers as he scrubbed his face, and smiled wanly at her. Would his father _ever_ trust him? He was only going to be with them a few more days…well, he_ hoped_ it would only be a few more days. They still had to figure out how he was going to get back to fight Voldemort. Hopefully, Dumbledore would be back tonight. Ginny laid her hand on his arm and nodded to the open doorway, and he raised his head as the voices in the sitting room continued.

"Honestly, James…what about Ginny…less dangerous? Really…"

"Lily! Don't be difficult…" They heard a sigh.

"All right."

A moment later, the Potters reappeared, a scowl wrinkling Lily's face.

"Harry, my husband has some urgent business in town. He has informed me that he did not, in fact, pick up the ingredients for the turkey stuffing that I asked him for two nights ago, so he has to do it today. Would you mind accompanying him? I'm going to be in the kitchen all day, and the less people in this house, the better." She smiled apologetically. "I'm not very pleasant to deal with when I'm cooking a large meal. And Ginny can help entertain the baby. If you don't mind, of course," she said to Ginny, who smiled uncertainly and nodded as the youngest Potter started banging his spoon on his tray.

The older Harry grinned in spite of himself. "I wouldn't mind picking up a few things myself, come to think of it. I left all my Christmas presents at home."

Lily's scowl changed to a smile at that, and she started spooning more mush into her infant son's mouth.

"All right, you two have fun. After you clean up the kitchen, James!" she said pointedly as he rose. He winced and sketched a deep bow in her direction before collecting the dishes from the table. Harry stood and gathered a few plates, then followed his father into the kitchen. He scraped the scraps into the dustbin and tipped the plates in the sink before turning to James.

"Look," Harry said softly, "I know you don't trust me." At that, James whipped around and stared at Harry, his hand clenched around his wand as Harry continued. "I wouldn't either, if I were you. But, I just don't know how to prove to you that I am who I say I am. I mean, I'll make an Unbreakable Vow that I won't harm you or your family, if you want me to."

James studied his face closely before speaking. "You're serious, aren't you?"

Harry nodded. "If that's what it takes," he said simply.

James continued to stare at him for another moment, and then relaxed and took his hand out of his pocket. He extended it in Harry's direction. Harry hesitated for a second, shocked at the gesture, before gripping it firmly. James shook it once before releasing him.

"Truce, for now?" he grinned suddenly. "Though I may take you up on your offer later."

Harry grinned back. "I vow, it'll still be good."

James let out a chuckle that quickly turned into a belly laugh, and Harry followed suit as relief flowed through him. A few minutes later they'd managed to calm down, and the girls gave them strange looks when they returned to the table.

"Private joke," James said airily, and Harry nearly burst into laughter again, but managed to control himself.

"I'll just grab my coat, shall I?" Harry said before darting out of the kitchen and up to his room. He'd just pulled his coat out of the closet and had started zipping it up when Ginny entered the room. His mouth went dry almost instantly as she shut the door and turned to him with a worried frown. He couldn't help thinking how beautiful she was, even when she was chewing anxiously on her lower lip. That led to thoughts about her mouth…he shook his head to break _that_ particular train of thought as she began to speak.

"Harry, I don't like the idea of you going off alone. James still doesn't trust you! What if something happens?"

"Don't worry," he soothed, stepping closer and wrapping his arms around her. He felt a bit guilty, holding her like this after last night, but she felt so right in his arms that he almost didn't care. "We've come to a…a sort of truce. I'll be fine."

"Okay, but I want you to take your Invisibility Cloak, just in case," she said, her voice muffled by his chest. "You've got it with you, don't you?"

"Yeah, I carry it with me all the time now, it's in my coat pocket," he answered, stroking her hair.

"Just…be careful," she mumbled. "You should probably wear it, just to be sure. I mean, you look so much like James, people might get suspicious, and if he tries something...or you get attacked…"

"Okay, okay, I'll wear it. Don't worry, Ginny." He slowly extracted himself from her, then leaned over and kissed her hesitantly on the cheek. "I'll be fine."

She nodded wordlessly and opened their bedroom door. He followed her to the kitchen, where they saw a still grinning James.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah, but listen, d'you think it'd be okay if I wear my Invisibility Cloak? I mean, no one knows about me, and I look an awful lot like you…what?"

James's cheerful expression had changed to one of surprise when Harry mentioned the cloak.

"What Invisibility Cloak? May I see it?" he asked Harry slowly. Harry pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to James, comprehension dawning on his face.

"It was my father's…yours, really."

James turned the Cloak over in his hands before swirling it around his shoulders and disappearing. He reappeared a moment later, shouting for his wife.

"Lily! Find my Invisibility Cloak, please, it's important!"

He turned back to Harry, frowning now.

"But…but why did I give it to you? So soon, I mean? My father didn't give it to me until he was old and didn't need it anymore, and I'm not that old in your time, so…how'd you get it?" Harry opened his mouth to reply, but James cut him off, still trying to reason out how Harry had gotten his cloak.

"I must not have needed it…but the war with Voldemort's still going on, so it'd be really useful…and you wouldn't have joined the Order until this year… Did I lend it to you for a mission?" He looked at Harry questioningly, who hesitated before shaking his head slowly.

"I've had it since I was eleven," he said in a near-whisper. James stared at him, open-mouthed, as Lily hurried down the stairs, cloak in hand.

"Here, James, is something wrong?" she asked breathlessly as she shoved the cloak in James's left hand. He held up his right.

"Looks like I gave Harry my cloak in the future," he said tightly, holding up the cloak in his right fist. Lily blinked, not comprehending. "It's my cloak, Lily. It's exactly the same, every stitch! Look, it's even got the rip in the hem where I tore it a few months ago! I guess I never got it fixed…"

Lily seized Harry's cloak in both hands and looked closely at the hem.

"You're right," she said, a smile breaking across her face. "This is proof, James! Why else would he have this if he wasn't telling the truth! It's been passed down in your family for generations!"

"Yes, Lily," James said quietly. "But why does he have it _now_? My father gave it to me because he was retired and didn't need it anymore. But we'll only be in our thirties in Harry's time. He says he's had it since he was eleven. It was passed to me when I was eleven, but…well, wouldn't I need it, if we're still fighting Voldemort?"

Lily paused, the smile fading from her face as she realized what James was getting at. She turned to Harry, who avoided her gaze and stared at his shoes.

"How did you get this cloak, Harry?" Lily asked quietly. Her voice echoed in the sudden stillness, and Harry chewed nervously on his lower lip. How could he answer her without it leading to more questions? Dumbledore's note, with his thin writing slanting gracefully across the parchment, came unbidden to his mind.

_Your father left this in my possession. Use it well. _

"You…you left it to me…sort of. You gave it to Dumbledore for me, in…in case I needed it," he stammered. James didn't look satisfied with his answer, but seemed to accept it for the moment. James handed Harry's cloak back to him and tucked his own in his pocket. Harry took the cloak back gratefully and slung it around his shoulders, vanishing from sight.

I think this is a good place to end it; a cliffhanger of sorts. You want your readers to be hungry for more of your story, and I think ending it here will do that. People will be wondering what will happen with James and Harry in town. The story is progressing very well (though I'm anxious to get back to the R/Hr fluffy Christmas shopping fun and more H/G smoochies would be nice, too; that's the romantic in me talking so feel free to ignore her ). I've got just one suggestion. We've talked about it before, but remember to try to limit your usage of adverbs. It's taken me a while to get away from relying on them so much, but I'm finally starting to get the hang of it. I think my writing (particularly the imagery) is all the stronger for it. Anyway, loved the chapter as usual and I can't wait to read Chapter 9!


	9. Fatherly Advice

9

Chapter 9: Fatherly Advice

Harry trudged through the snow behind his father, being careful to place his feet in his father's footprints. It wouldn't do to have anyone noticed that there were two sets of prints and only one walker. James glanced behind him and grimaced in Harry's general direction.

"Blimey, this is odd! I've never had anyone else follow me in my cloak, and it's _weird_!"

Harry shrugged, forgetting his father couldn't see the gesture.

"My friends at school've told me the same thing, once or twice. There were a couple of years I wasn't allowed in Hogsmede, so I sneaked out under the cloak and found them. They kept claiming people gave them funny looks because they were talking to themselves." He chuckled, and James joined in a moment later.

"Yeah, I've got to remember not to move my lips when I talk to you in town. That could get a bit awkward, 'specially if I run into anyone I know. Speaking of town, we're almost there, so be extra careful about where you step."

A moment later, as they entered the outskirts of Godric's Hollow, James cocked his head in Harry's direction and whispered, "By the way, what did you do to get you banned from Hogsmede?"

Harry grimaced and whispered back, "Long story. I'll tell it to you later, when we can talk."

James nodded as they walked into the little market on the south side of the town square. Harry stepped closer to his father and whispered, "Did Mum, er, Lily, _really_ need you to pick up stuffing ingredients? Or was that just part of the excuse to get me out of the house?"

James grinned, and whispered back, "Bit of both, actually. She wasn't kidding about being annoyed with me; I really was supposed to pick the stuff up a couple of days ago. But I forgot! Sirius dropped by and it completely slipped my mind."

He waved at a tottery old lady crossing the street, and whispered, "That's Bathilda Bagshot; a really sweet old witch. Going a bit dotty, but still. She thinks you're adorable; always stops by to have tea and gossip with Lily so she can coo at you."

Harry got that strange feeling again as he thought about his infant-self back at the cottage with Lily and Ginny. With Ginny…bugger. He made a face. She was going to have loads of embarrassing stories about him when they went back. She'd probably end up changing his nappies while she was there!

He pushed that thought to the back of his mind as James started wandering around the market, muttering to himself.

"Did she say to get the pre-made stuff? And did she want any seasonings, or did we have everything? Bother, I can't remember. Hope she doesn't expect me to either, it's been three days since she told me what to get! Let's see if she gave me a list…no, bollocks! That's it, I'm doomed. She's going to kill me."

Harry suppressed a laugh as Bathilda wandered over to them and James plastered a smile on his face.

"Hello, Bathilda. How are you?"

She shrugged and smiled up at him. "Oh, I'm doing well enough for an decrepit old lady. How are you, dear? And how's Lily and that darling baby?"

James grimaced. "Well, Lily and the baby are fine, though I probably won't be when I get home. I'm supposed to pick up a few things for dinner tomorrow, and she didn't give me a list, so I don't remember what I'm supposed to get." He smiled ruefully at her.

"I don't suppose you could help me?"

Bathilda chuckled. "I've been cooking since before you were born, dearie. I might not know exactly what Lily needs, but I have a good idea. Even if it's not exactly what she wants, we might be able to keep you out of the doghouse."

The look on James' face was priceless.

"My savior!" He cried as he seized Bathilda's age-spotted hands and kissed them enthusiastically.

She chuckled and pulled them out of his grasp, though two spots of pink had appeared on her withered cheeks.

"Now, now, you silly boy. Let's get your wife what she needs so she doesn't brain you with a frying pan when you get home."

Harry trailed them around the market as Bathilda picked up various items and expounded on their culinary uses to James, who nodded and tried to look interested, but didn't manage it very well. Luckily, Bathilda didn't seem to notice his glazed eyes and blank expression, and happily prattled on about the uses of rosemary and thyme as if he were hanging on her every word.

Eventually, they made it to the checkout. Harry was quite sure his father's sigh of relief was because he didn't need Bathilda's help any more, Bathilda took it to mean he was relieved not to be in the doghouse. He bent down and pecked her on the cheek, assuring her that he was forever in her debt, and to let him know if she ever needed _anything_. She nodded and headed off down a side street, and James looked around for Harry as soon as she'd gone. Harry stepped up and tapped him on the shoulder, and he jumped.

"Don't _do_ that!" he hissed.

"Sorry," Harry whispered back. "But what did you want me to do? It's not like you can see me!"

James nodded grudgingly and set off down a different side street than the one Bathilda had chosen.

"I've got something else to get," he explained to Harry. "I won't take long; twenty minutes at the most. I've got to pick up my gift for Lily; she wouldn't let me alone when we were shopping for Christmas presents. And if you've got anywhere you want to go, just let me know."

Harry nodded, forgetting James couldn't see him, and they walked into a shop lined with glass cases. As he passed, he saw that the cases were filled with strings of tiny pearls, slender silver chains, elegant diamond rings, and gems of every color and size that shone quietly against their black velvet backgrounds.

"Hello, Henry!" James called as they neared the back of the store, and the quiet little man reading a paper at the counter looked up. He smiled at James' greeting, and held out his hand as Harry's father approached him.

"Ah, yes, Mr. Potter! So good to see you, I have your purchase right here." He reached under the counter and brought out a small white box. James smiled even wider as he opened it, holding it up so that Harry could see.

Inside, on a square of black silk, lay an oval locket on a delicate golden chain. It had an exquisite lily etched on the front, inlaid with mother-of-pearl. James looked at it for a moment, then flicked a catch on the side. It opened with a soft click, and Harry saw that the two halves were empty, each waiting to receive a tiny photograph.

James snapped the locket shut and paid the clerk, who smiled and thanked him before turning back to his paper.

"I saw this in that shop a couple of months ago and thought it was perfect," James said to Harry out of the corner of his mouth after they had exited the shop. "But every time we walked by, Lily would watch me like a hawk. I pretended not to get any of her hints so she'd be surprised. What do you think?"

"I think it's beautiful, and I'm sure she'll love it," Harry answered as he trailed after his father.

"By the way, Harry, did you see anything in there you'd like to get for your girlfriend? I mean, I don't know what your budget is or anything…"

Harry was already shaking his head, but as James couldn't see him, he prattled on for a few more minutes before Harry hissed, "She's not my girlfriend!"

James stopped talking abruptly and shot an incredulous look in Harry's general direction before ducking down a deserted side street. As soon as they were out of sight, he turned back to Harry, who'd taken off his cloak.

"What do you mean, she's not your girlfriend? I mean, things don't seem to be going well for the two of you, but it's obvious that there's something going on between you. Even I can see that!"

Harry shrugged uncomfortably. "It's complicated," he mumbled. James snorted.

"It's always complicated," James said dryly. "Look at me! Lily and I've been married almost two years, and we went out a while before that, but I _still_ get in trouble with her just about every day. Of course, things are a bit smoother, now we've got the baby, but even so. Women make everything complicated."

Harry shook his head. "It's not like that," he said weakly. James cocked his head and eyed him skeptically.

"Really? Then what's it like? It can't be that bad."

Harry hesitated, not sure what to tell his father. He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. It was so difficult to talk to his parents about anything important. Everything he said had to be weighed and measured so as to cause the least amount of damage. Should he tell them that he was fighting Voldemort? That Ginny could become a target if they were involved with each other?

He decided to compromise, only telling his father a part of the whole story.

"Well, I'm in the Order, but she's not old enough to join, or even do magic legally yet," he began, speaking slowly to give himself more time to think. "Since she's still in school, if Voldemort finds out she's involved with the Order, he might try to hurt her. There are a few Slytherin's whose father's are Death Eaters, and I wouldn't put it past them to go after her because she's involved with me." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair again. "I just…I don't want anything to happen to her," he said miserably.

James looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before he finally spoke.

"I suppose that _is_ a bit of a dilemma," he admitted, "But I still don't see why you're pushing her away. She obviously cares about you, and if she's the one you want to be with, then you should at least tell her that. There's no reason you can't be together when you're with her. I mean, it's not like you're going to have a lot of time to date, working with the Order and all. Hell, Lily and I barely had time to get married!"

James paused for a moment, and Harry thought he was finished, but he went on, "Just because there's a war going on doesn't mean you shouldn't take what happiness comes your way. Don't push her away because of some stupid idea that you should be noble and protect her for her own good. Let her make that decision. It's her life, after all." James smiled ruefully as he continued, "Lily made that perfectly clear to me when I tried to stop her from joining the Order, and your Ginny looks to be in the same mold. And even if you can't really be together, at least you'll know where you stand."

Harry nodded thoughtfully. "I guess it…it couldn't hurt to get her something," he said tentatively. "Any suggestions?"

James looked blank. "I don't know; she's your girlfriend! You're supposed to know what she likes!"

Harry stuffed his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "It's not that, exactly. It's just…I want it to be something special. Something that will remind her that I…I care about her, even if I can't be with her. And it'd be nice if it's something she likes too," he added. James frowned for a minute, and then his face brightened.

"She told us when Dumbledore was questioning you that she played Chaser. What about something related to Quidditch?"

Harry rolled his eyes at his father. "I was thinking something a bit…nicer."

"How about jewelry?"

Harry frowned. "I don't think she wears it much; last time I remember seeing her in a necklace was at the Yule Ball three years ago."

James started murmuring to himself, counting off points on his fingers. "Something sentimental, not girly, not jewelry, something nice, something meaningful…hm…what about a Snitch? You could put something special inside it, and it's Quidditch related. Don't you play Seeker?"

"Yes," Harry said impatiently, "But a Snitch? I can't put anything in a Snitch!"

"Yes you can," James insisted. "A Snitch is spelled to open for the first human that touches it, so if you get one and use gloves, it won't open until Ginny touches it. Then you can put something really nice in it. I dunno what, but it's still a pretty cool idea."

Harry nodded slowly as they idea started growing on him, but then his face fell. "But where are we going to find a Snitch? I mean, I don't see any Quality Quidditch Supplies here, do you?"

James grinned at him.

"You have to know where to look."

James motioned for Harry to put the cloak back on, and as soon as he disappeared, James walked back out onto the main street. Harry followed, though he seriously doubted there'd be a Quidditch supply shop in Godric's Hollow. After all, that wasn't the kind of store that would be easy to hide!

James led Harry a couple of blocks down the street until they reached a run-down store whose sign read, _The Champion's Athletic Store: Equipment for Every Sport!_

Harry snorted softly. There was no way this shabby little store could possibly supply equipment for _every_ sport, or even every _Muggle_ sport! James chuckled.

"Oh, ye of little faith," he quipped as he opened the door, whose paint was faded, and had begun peeling from the wood. Harry followed him to the back of the store, where there was a second unobtrusive door. James looked around, and furtively pulled his wand out of his pocket. He tapped the door with it three times before opening it, and as he and Harry walked through it, Harry's mouth dropped open.

He had entered a huge, brightly lit room that contained everything related to Quidditch he could imagine. There were Quaffles of every size and color, Bludgers crashing into each other in large cages, tiny Golden Snitches zipping back and forth across the ceiling, and a whole wall of broomsticks, including a special section of Nimbus 1700s on display at the far end.

After gaping around for a minute or so, Harry realized that his father had almost disappeared from sight, apparently not realizing that Harry was still standing in front of the door. He hurried up to James and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Wow," he whispered, and James grinned.

"Didn't I tell you?" James said softly, and Harry nodded fervently.

"I'll never doubt you again," he promised, and James chuckled.

"Now then, do you want to get a Snitch for Ginny? 'Cause they've got a collection of game and decorative Snitches over by the Nimbus 1700 display."

"Yes, please," Harry replied, and James led him down the long room to the back, where a series of small cases were lined up beside the brooms. In each case, a Snitch rested, gently flapping its tiny wings.

Most of the Snitches were obviously for Quidditch games, though they were distinguished by different categories, such as Professional, School, and Casual Games. Others, however, looked to be more for display than anything. Some had intricate carvings on their golden shells, while others had real feathered wings, or were encrusted with jewels. Harry frowned at those. In his eyes, once a Snitch became too ornate, it ceased to be a Snitch, and turned into a piece of useless decoration.

But then one Snitch caught his eye. It was one of the simpler ones, though more decorative than any of the game ones. Its burnished gold shell was circled by a line of sinuous knots that seemed to twine about the little ball without ever coming to an end, and the tips of its silver wings were gilded. Harry bent down and read the description.

_The Lover's Snitch. The band of Celtic knot work around the center of the Snitch symbolizes everlasting commitment and love. The knots never end, and they circle the Snitch completely, only breaking when the Snitch is opened to place an item of great value to the receiver of the Snitch._

Harry smiled. It was perfect. And it was only fifteen Galleons, which he had in his money bag. He walked over to his father, who was gazing longingly at the new Nimbus 1700s in the display case. He had to touch James on the shoulder twice to break him out of his reverie as he looked at the brooms. James blinked like he was coming into the sun after being in darkness, and looked around wildly for whatever had disturbed him. 

Harry laughed. "It's me," he whispered.

James sighed heavily and allowed himself to be pulled away from the brooms to the Snitches, all the way elaborating on the details of the Nimbus 1700.

"But I don't really have time for Quidditch anymore, what with the war going on and all," he finished sadly. "I'm going to start playing again as soon as everything gets back to normal though, wait and see. Or," he looked at Harry sharply. "Do I? You know, don't you?"

Harry winced. "I can't tell you that," he said desperately. "It might change something…"

"Oh, come on," James urged. "It's not like it'll affect my performance or anything!"

"No," Harry said patiently, "But it could give you lots of clues about what'll happen to you in the war, and I really can't do that."

"Oh, all right," James said grumpily as Harry steered him in front of the Snitch he wanted.

James raised his eyebrows as he read the Snitch's description.

"The Lover's Snitch, eh? I thought she wasn't your girlfriend?"

Harry flushed a deep shade of red, suddenly very glad that his father couldn't see him.

"She's not," he mumbled. "I think she'd like it the most, it's not all gaudy and stuff like the ones on the end over there, but it's still…different from a normal Snitch."

James chuckled as Harry pressed the Galleons into his hand. He found a clerk as Harry waited by the case, and when they walked out of the store Harry's moneybag was lighter, but his pocket was slightly heavier. He smiled to himself as his fingers wrapped around the little box, wrapped in gold and tied with a silver ribbon.

It was a good thing the store had a gift-wrapping option; he was hopeless when it came to wrapping presents. They always looked more like someone had bunched the paper around a box than like he'd actually put some effort into wrapping it.

As they walked up the side street towards the main square, Harry noticed a young couple walking towards them. He frowned as he looked closer at them. They looked really familiar…but no. They couldn't be here, and even if they were, they'd be bickering and arguing, not cooing and cuddling with each other like a pair of lovesick turtledoves.

As they walked by, they smiled and nodded at James, seeming to scrutinize him carefully. Harry noticed that the girl looked around his father, and he suddenly realized he hadn't been careful to walk in James' footsteps for quite some time.

"Oh, Harry, isn't it a lovely day?" Hermione said loudly to Ron, and Harry stopped dead. So did James, who slipped his hand inside his cloak. Harry laid a hand on his father's arm and motioned for him to keep walking. As soon as he'd turned the corner, Harry pulled off his cloak, his wand pointed at his two best friends.


	10. Meetings

11

**Chapter 10: Meetings**

The couple in front of Harry froze, though neither of them appeared very surprised at his sudden appearance. In fact, the boy's face broke into a shaky grin, though it quickly faded as Harry's wand remained pointed at the pair.

"Show me your hands, and slowly!" he demanded, and they unwound themselves from around each other and tentatively lifted empty hands into the air.

"Harry? Harry, it's us," the boy said, his words stumbling over themselves. "Ron and Hermione, you know, your friends?"

Harry just glared at him.

"And how do I know you're not Death Eaters?"

Ron shrugged. "Ask us anything, mate."

Harry looked at him steadily for a moment, his expression thoughtful, before nodding once.

"Right, Ron, what kind of creature did Hagrid tell us to go see in our second year, and what was its name?"

Ron blinked, an involuntary shudder rippling through him.

"I – I think it's called an Acromantula. It was a giant spider, anyway, and its name was Aragog." He shuddered again. "I still have nightmares about that, sometimes."

Harry's features relaxed, and he almost grinned, but kept his face stern as he turned to Hermione.

"Hermione, what happened to you the first time you took Polyjuice Potion?"

She scowled. "You had to bring that up, didn't you?" she grumbled. "I accidentally used cat hair instead of human, and I ended up with a furry face, yellow eyes, whiskers, pointed ears, and a tail! A tail!"

Harry's face broke into a full grin this time, and he chuckled, unable to help himself. He lowered his wand, though he still held it loosely in his hand, just in case.

"Yes, you did," he agreed, "And it wasn't quite as bad as you think. Though it was a bit funny…" She gave a little huff as he smirked at her. Ron, on the other hand, gave a short bark of laughter before slinging his arm casually around her and squeezing her shoulders.

"Harry's right, it wasn't that bad, Hermione." He grinned impishly at her, and reached out his other hand to chuck her on the chin. "I thought the ears and tail were rather cute, actually. Though I'm quite glad they weren't permanent," he added hastily as she turned her glare on him. But it only lasted a moment before her face melted into a smile, and they both turned back to Harry, who'd been watching their exchange with some interest.

Hermione rushed up to him and enveloped him in an enthusiastic hug, almost knocking him over, while Ron contented himself with patting him the back as he tried to breathe.

"Hermione!" Harry wheezed. "Air!"

Her grip on him immediately loosened, and she went to stand next to Ron, both of them grinning like idiots. Harry was pretty sure his own expression mirrored theirs, but he didn't particularly care at the moment.

"What are you doing here? How did you find me? And what's going on between you two?" he asked the last question as Ron reached for Hermione's hand, though he quickly dropped it when he realized Harry had noticed.

"Er…well…er, nothing, really," Ron stuttered. Hermione gave him a hurt look, then turned back to Harry.

"We came looking for you, with Tonks, and she suggested we pretend to be a couple because that way it was more plausible that Ron was spending Christmas with me instead of his family."

"Well, it's not like it's completely unlikely! I mean, you spend nearly every Christmas with us anyway," Ron argued, and Hermione sighed.

"Yes, Ron," she said patently. "But I usually spend Christmas day with my parents, and most girls don't travel on the holidays with boys who are 'just friends'."

Ron started to protest again, but Hermione shushed him before answering Harry's other questions.

"We found Ginny's glove by the stone circle, and quite frankly, we nearly panicked. We looked for you for two hours, and when we couldn't find you, we went back to the school and asked McGonagall for help. She'd had some experience with the circles before, so she told us what they were, then she and some of the other Order members figured out when and where you were. They decided to send a team in to bring you both back, and Tonks, Ron, and I were the only ones who wouldn't be recognized. And Ron and I thought you'd be more likely to understand everything coming from us."

Harry nodded, sticking his wand back in his pocket.

"You were right," he agreed as he swung his Invisibility Cloak over his shoulders. "Listen, wait here a second; I've got to go let my dad know everything's all right."

Hermione looked at him piercingly. "I thought that was your father. Listen, Harry, you aren't going to try and tell them what's going to happen to them, are you? Because – "

"No, I'm not!" He broke in sharply, the cloak limp and forgotten in his fist. "I'm not stupid, I know that could mess up the future!"

Hermione winced, and Ron put an arm around her shoulder again, frowning at Harry.

"She didn't mean it that way, mate," he said softly. "We just know how you feel, that's all. I mean, not exactly, but we can guess. I know if it were my parents and I had a chance to save them, even if I knew it would mess up the future, I'd still want to try."

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair so that it stood on end. "I do, but I know I can't," he said dully. "I mean, there's a good chance they'll figure out _something's_ happened; I think they already have, actually. But I'm not going to tell them anything that will save them. Though I have a feeling that even if I do, Voldemort will manage to kill them later." He murmured the last sentence, as if speaking to himself.

Hermione stepped hesitantly forward and placed her arms around him again, more carefully this time.

"It'll be okay, Harry," she said quietly. "At least you've got this time with them. Ron and I will be staying at the hotel with Tonks most of the time anyway, so you won't have to worry about us interfering or anything."

Harry shot her a grateful look and patted her awkwardly on the back before stepping away.

"Thanks," he said simply as he raised the hood of his cloak, vanishing from sight. "I'll be right back."

He walked to the end of the street and turned the same corner his father had, nearly running into James.

"Dad!" he hissed, and James whirled, hand in his pocket.

"Harry?" he asked.

"It's me, can you come back? It's all right; they're my friends, not Death Eaters, I've checked. I'd like you to meet them, if you don't mind."

James looked around in disbelief. "What do you mean, 'your friends?' I thought you didn't have any friends here, you know, being from the future and all."

Harry winced at the distrust that had sneaked back into his father's voice, and pulled James around the corner and out of sight of the main road.

"Look," he said desperately, pulling off the invisibility cloak. "I can explain – they're from the future too! They were with me and Ginny before we disappeared, and apparently there's some way to track people through time, so they found us. I've been telling you the truth, I swear!"

James studied him for a few moments before nodding once, though his expression was cautious. "All right," he said finally, and Harry smiled in relief. His father had just started to trust him, and he didn't want anything to mess that up. For a moment he found himself wishing his friends had stayed in the future…but there was no point in thinking that. They were here, and he'd just have to deal with the disturbance their presence caused.

"Let's meet these friends of yours, then," James said, and Harry was jolted out of his thoughts. He nodded quickly and started towards the end of the street, his father following.

"Dad, er, James, these are my best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger."

James shook their hands warily. "Nice to meet you. Is anyone else going to drop in from the future that I should know about?"

Ron laughed, and even Hermione smiled as she answered, "Just our chaperone, I'm afraid, but you don't know her. And we'll be out of your hair, for the most part; we just wanted to make sure Harry was safe and able to get back as soon as possible."

James glanced at Harry, whose face had dropped at the mention of his return.

"And when might that be, exactly?" James asked.

"New Years Eve, at midnight," came Hermione's precise reply. "We'll be traveling back through the stone circle, and that's one of the times when it's strongest."

James nodded absently, his gaze still fixed on Harry. "So, we've got just over a week with you then," he said quietly. His face had softened at Harry's glum expression. "We'll make it count," he continued, and Harry's head snapped up. He stared hard at his father for a moment, then his face broke into a grin.

"Thanks, Dad."

James smiled and patted him clumsily on the back. There was an awkward silence for a moment, then Ron cleared his throat.

"So, Harry, erm, I guess we can go now. I mean, we know you're here and safe and all that, so we probably need to meet with Tonks to let her know what's going on."

Hermione gave him an exasperated look. "No we don't, Ron, we can contact her through the mirrors, remember?" She turned to Harry. "Tonks gave us two-way mirrors to communicate; you know, like the one Sirius gave you."

James looked at Harry, interested now. "Sirius gave you a set of those? Cool! We used to use them when we had separate detentions."

Harry's throat suddenly seemed to constrict as he thought about the godfather he'd lost a year and a half ago, and he struggled to get the words out.

"Yeah…he told me that." He tried to smile, but it came out as a sort of weak grimace instead. Hermione seemed to sense his anguish, and broke in.

"Anyway, Tonks wanted us to find out where you're staying so we can get in touch with you when we need to." She smiled brightly at James. "Is he staying with you?"

James looked at her, a little startled to find her addressing him. "Oh, yeah, we've put him and Ginny in the guest room. We don't have a lot of space, you see."

Ron's ears turned red, and a flush started creeping up his neck. "I suppose you're being a gentleman and sleeping on the floor, right, Harry?" He asked menacingly, and Harry turned pale.

"Er…well, yeah…of course," he stammered, and James turned to Ron in surprise, his resemblance to Ginny finally seeming to click.

"Are you her brother?" Ron nodded grimly, and James winced. "Right. Don't worry, the guest room's got two twin beds," he lied, and Ron seemed slightly mollified, though he continued to glare at Harry as Hermione tried to redirect the conversation elsewhere.

"So, Harry, do you and Ginny still have the Galleons from the D.A.? Because I was thinking we could use them to communicate with each other. Or we could try the mirrors; that would work, too. I'd just have to enchant one for you and Ginny."

Harry nodded. "Ginny's got her Galleon with her, so we can be use that for now, though if you want to enchant a couple of mirrors that would probably work better. You can give them to us later though, after you've talked to Tonks."

Hermione nodded and started tugging on Ron's arm. He started to move reluctantly, dragging his feet and looking over his shoulder at Harry as they headed back towards the hotel.

As soon as they were out of sight, Harry sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face.

"Thanks for that," he said hoarsely to James. "Ron would've killed me. Might still kill me, actually."

James chuckled. "Big brothers are like that sometimes," he said easily. "I've had to help Sirius get out of a couple of scrapes when a girl's big brother wasn't keen on the idea of Sirius going out with his baby sister." Harry nodded, groaning.

"And Ron's the youngest! She's got five more!" James' eyebrows shot to the top of his forehead.

"Five? Are you crazy?"

Harry nodded again. "I must be. And Ron's my best friend, besides. And really protective. Hates every guy she's with."

He thought back to the day he and Ron had discovered Ginny and Dean kissing behind the tapestry, and his hands balled into fists. James slung an arm around his shoulders and started steering him in the direction they'd come from hours earlier.

"Don't worry about it too much," he soothed. "Just treat her with the respect I know you have for her…and don't let Ron catch the two of you in a broom closet."

Harry grinned in spite of himself before pulling away and tugging the invisibility cloak back over his head. They'd just reached the end of the side street, and though it was getting a bit dark, it was still a bad idea for him to be wandering Godric's Hollow without it. But it didn't take them long to leave the hamlet behind them, and as soon as they were far enough away, Harry pulled off the cloak so that it was easier for him and his father to talk.

James looked over at him hesitantly. "You know, if it's a problem, you can sleep on the couch and Ginny can have the guest room. We normally wouldn't have made you stay in the same room; it's just that we didn't know if we could trust you, you see." He flashed a sudden grin in Harry's direction. "And you didn't look like you'd complain too loudly anyway."

Harry shrugged ruefully. "What can I say? Any guy in his right mind would jump at the chance to spend the night with Ginny. Particularly me." He muttered the last words under his breath as James continued.

"Right, well, we didn't want you running around the living room, and frankly, I was worried about you going after the baby. Not turning on the heat in your room was Lily's idea; she wanted you to be too preoccupied and uncomfortable to try anything."

"I certainly was," Harry said, and James clapped him on the back.

"So, how did things turn out?" James asked, wagging his eyebrows suggestively. Harry laughed.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. I tried to be chivalrous and sleep on the floor, but Ginny wasn't having it. She was worried I'd get hypothermia; she practically forced me to climb into bed with her."

James snorted. "I'm sure that was torturous."

Harry's smile suddenly faded as he remembered how he and Ginny had finally spent the night.

"Yeah, it kind of was," he said glumly, and James frowned at the change in his voice. "I think she cried herself to sleep, if she slept at all. I didn't get any rest either because I was worried about her. And we stayed as far away from each other as we could get."

James sighed and slung an arm around his shoulders. "Look, I'm sure you'll work it out eventually. Just…I don't know, go with your gut, and try not to hurt her."

Harry nodded as the lights of the cottage came into view. Someone was in the kitchen, and he could hear childish laughter as they reached the door. James raised his hand and knocked.

"Who is it?" Lily called.

"It is I, your darling husband, bringing supplies for the feast tomorrow night!" James replied, grinning.

"I don't believe you; _my_ husband wouldn't have remembered what to get and would have returned home empty-handed."

Harry snorted, and James rolled his eyes at him, though he had a huge grin on his face. "Now, Lily…er, my flower – "

"_And_ my husband would never call me 'his flower,' unless, of course, he wanted to sleep in the sitting room tonight." James winced as Harry burst into full-fledged laughter.

"Lily! It's me and Harry! Ask the security questions if you want, but let us in, it's freezing!"

Harry could hear giggling and whispering behind the door as the two witches tried to decide what to ask them. James turned and rolled his eyes at him.

"Trying to figure out the most embarrassing questions they possibly can," he said to Harry in a low voice, who nodded his agreement.

"We should do the same," Harry replied, and James looked at him thoughtfully before a mischievous smirk spread over his face.

"You're _definitely_ my son," he said smugly, and Harry smiled faintly.

"Right," Ginny called through the door. "Harry, how did the rumor get started that you had a Horntail tattooed on your chest?"

James looked over at him and raised his eyebrows. "You've got a Horntail tattoo? And on your chest, no less? I don't even think Sirius has one of those!"

Harry laughed. "No, I don't actually, but Ginny thought it would be funny to tell a fourth-year gossip that I did. And she was right, it was hilarious."

Ginny giggled from behind the door. "You should have seen her face! Her eyes got as big as Quaffles!"

"Your question, Ginny," Harry said, "What did you compare my eyes to in your first year?"

There was silence for a moment, but then he heard a chuckle before she answered, "A fresh-pickled toad."

"You've certainly got a way with words, Ginny," Harry heard Lily say from behind the door, laughter in her voice.

"I was eleven! How good were you with compliments at that age? Besides, I wanted it to rhyme. And, sadly, it did."

"Okay, okay, Lily's question!" James broke in. He grinned broadly. "What rather embarrassing thing happened to you at breakfast in the Great Hall during our sixth year?"

"Ugh, you had to ask that, didn't you?" Lily groused from behind the door. "Fine, one of the Slytherins thought it would be funny if his owl defecated above the Gryffindor table, and I happened to be right under it when it did. It wasn't the most pleasant thing I've ever experienced."

Harry snorted and choked, trying to hold in his laughter as he winced in sympathy.

"Right, your turn, James," Lily said, and James looked a trifle uneasy.

"She'd better not ask about – "

"What happened every time you asked me out in fifth year?"

He sighed. "She asked about it," he muttered, his ears turning pink. In a louder voice, he answered, "You hit me with a curse that stuck my tongue to the roof of my mouth, so I had to mime everything until I found one of my friends and convinced them to take it off, which wasn't always easy to do." He scowled at Harry's questioning look. "Sirius thought it was hilarious and wouldn't do it half the time, and Peter couldn't remember how to the other half. The only one who ever took pity on me was Remus."

At this point, Harry and Ginny were both laughing so hard it was difficult for James to make himself heard through the door. Harry was bent over and struggling to breathe when he heard the lock click and caught a glimpse of his mother's face as she opened the door. James stalked forward, his face looking like a thundercloud.

"Oh, come on James, lighten up!" Lily teased as he walked through the door in a huff. James pretended to ignore his wife as he deposited the groceries on the kitchen table, but as soon as she'd taken a step in his direction, he whirled and charged her.

"Oh, now you're in for it!" He shouted triumphantly as Lily squealed and dodged around the couch.

Harry watched, bemused, as his parents tore around the house like giddy teenagers while Ginny leaned smiling against the table, his infant self on her hip.

He wanted to wrap her in his arms and kiss her senseless right there…but he knew he shouldn't, not if they were going to stay friends and not lovers. But then he thought of what James had told him in town, and he frowned thoughtfully.

Ginny pushed away from the table and walked up to him, bouncing baby Harry until he giggled and squirmed to be put down. She obliged, and he staggered and began toddling unsteadily towards the pile of toys by the sofa. She watched him until for a few minutes until he was happily occupied before turning back to Harry.

"Penny for your thoughts," she said quietly, raising one eyebrow. He smiled. She'd always been able to tell when something was troubling him. He bent and kissed her cheek.

"I'll tell you later," he breathed in her ear. "Promise."


	11. Happiness and Sorrow

9

**Chapter 11: Happiness and Sorrow**

A moment later there was a knock at the door. James and Lily instantly stopped wrestling, though Lily kept giggling a minute or so after they stopped. As she struggled to get her mirth under control, James darted to the kitchen door. Muffled words were exchanged before Harry heard the door open, and James reappeared, followed by Albus Dumbledore.

Harry swallowed, a lump suddenly forming in his throat. He had mixed feelings about the headmaster's reappearance. On the one hand, it was wonderful to see him alive and well, humming quietly to himself like a large, grey bumblebee. On the other hand, it would be incredibly difficult to not give anything away, and Dumbledore was too shrewd to miss anything for long.

"Hello, Lily, Ginny, Harry," Dumbledore said pleasantly, though his eyes immediately fixed sharply on Harry.

"Hello, Dumbledore," Lily said cheerfully, rising to greet the headmaster. "Have a seat. Would you like something to drink? I think we may have some mulled mead…I can try to find it for you, if you like."

He held up a wrinkled hand as he sank wearily into the armchair she offered him. "That won't be necessary, but thank you, Lily. I won't be long. I came to tell you all about my findings on the stone circle."

Harry stiffened. Much as they needed to discuss this subject, he was incredibly reluctant to, because talking about it would make his departure seem that much closer. He wanted to go back to the future, he did, but…he was so tired. He wanted a few moments of peace before he was thrust back into the dark, bitter conflict that he would be forced to end. And he wanted this time with his parents; wanted it more than he'd ever wanted anything in his entire life. He deserved it, he thought fiercely. He had sacrificed so much; didn't he deserve some happiness in his life, too? His thoughts started to drift to Ginny, but he yanked them back when he realized that Dumbledore was speaking again.

"… It was apparently constructed right before the circles were outlawed, and the builder died soon after, so it was forgotten by everyone. I examined it earlier this morning, and though it is a little shabby, it appears to be functional. I did a few tests, just to be sure, and it is stable, as far as I can tell. It is not very strong right now, however. It will be strongest again—"

"On New Year's Eve," Harry interrupted, suddenly remembering what Ron and Hermione had told him. Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at him, and he flushed.

"We met a couple of Harry's friends today, in Godric's Hollow. Apparently, they've come to bring him back, and they said New Year's Eve was the day they'd leave," James broke in quickly, pulling Dumbledore's attention off of Harry. Ginny, however, looked at him sharply.

"Who were they? My brother and Hermione?" she asked. Harry nodded and her expression darkened.

"I was going to tell you in a little while, when we could really talk," Harry said hurriedly, and her face cleared as she nodded slowly.

"I think you had better tell me what happened, Harry," Dumbledore said, the barest edge of impatience in his voice. Harry obediently recited everything that happened in the alley, interrupted occasionally as James added his own observations.

"I would like to meet these friends of yours, if possible, Harry," Dumbledore said thoughtfully when Harry had finished.

Harry shrugged. "Sure, they're staying in Godric's Hollow. I'll let them know you'd like to meet them in the morning, if you don't mind."

Dumbledore nodded before standing slowly, his body creaking a little as he rose. He smiled wryly.

"Ah, the cost of wisdom! Stiff joints and wrinkles!" He shook Harry's hand. "I trust I will see you again before you go?"

Harry nodded uncertainly, and Dumbledore smiled again as he moved into the kitchen.

"Until next time!" he said cheerily. A puff of cold air swirled into the house with his departure, and James followed to be sure the door was locked securely. He returned in a moment and collapsed on the floor next to his infant son.

Baby Harry crawled over to his father and immediately started pulling on James's unruly hair. James winced and sat up quickly, tugging his hair out of Harry's grasp. The child screwed up his face, and James hurriedly pulled out his wand, making colored balls of smoke dance around his son's head to prevent a tantrum. Lily smiled affectionately and kissed him swiftly on the cheek before rising and going into the kitchen.

"Supper will be ready in a few minutes," she called over her shoulder. A delicious smell soon began wafting into the sitting room, and she was serving hot onion soup and cold sandwiches a little while later.

"I thought we'd keep tonight and tomorrow simple, since we'll be having a feast Christmas Day," she explained as she ladled out the soup. Supper was a quiet affair, as Lily and James tried unsuccessfully to draw Harry and Ginny in to conversation. They were too absorbed in their own thoughts and used the food as an excuse to keep full mouths and silent tongues.

After supper was over, Harry and Ginny volunteered to clean up, and Lily accepted their offer gratefully.

"I've got to get this little man bathed and into bed," she said as she hoisted her squirming son out of his high chair. "James, could you run his bath for me while I get him undressed?"

James nodded and disappeared upstairs, Lily following him more slowly with the baby. Ginny and Harry were left alone at the sink. They washed and dried in silence at first, stealing sidelong glances at each other. Finally, when they were nearly done, Ginny broke the silence.

"So, is it later yet?" she asked, a faint smile on her lips. He looked at her questioningly, his brow furrowed in a slight frown. "What you were thinking earlier—you said you'd tell me later. Is it later yet?"

He chuckled as he dried the last dish and placed it in the cabinet.

"I suppose so," he said, as he leaned on the counter and ran one hand through the back of his hair, making it stick up even more than it already was. He suddenly felt anxious. What if Ginny had decided she'd had enough and didn't want to try anymore? She'd seemed really upset last night, and he was worried that she might have given up on him.

"Well," he began nervously, "I talked to my dad today." He paused, not really sure how to go on, and Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"I would hope you talked to him, since you were around him all day," she teased, and he laughed again. He suddenly felt a bit more relaxed, though still a little apprehensive. It was amazing how easily she was able to calm him.

"Well, yeah, we talked a lot, but…he said something to me that really made me start thinking, and he was right. At least, I think he was." He paused again.

"Do I get to hear this pearl of wisdom?" Ginny asked as she reached around him for a glass. Harry stepped around her, and in one smooth twisting movement had her trapped in his arms against the counter. She gazed up at him, eyes wide, as he lowered his face to hers. When he was within inches of her lips, he stopped, and said softly, "He told me that just because there's a war going on doesn't mean we can't be happy."

She nodded slowly, and he took this as a sign to continue. "And he said that I should let you decide for yourself if you want to be with me, and not push you away to protect you."

Ginny grinned at this, and placed her arms around his neck, drawing him closer to her so that she was pressed up against him. She raised herself on her toes and brought her mouth to his ear.

"Your father is a very smart man," she murmured in his ear, her breath sending chills down his neck, and then she was kissing him hard on the mouth, her hands in his hair. He wrapped his arms around her, stroking one hand down her back and cupping her head with the other as he kissed her back as desperately as she was kissing him. He couldn't think of anything else, was aware of nothing but her, until they finally broke apart, after what seemed like hours.

She rested her head on his shoulder and he laid his cheek on her hair, inhaling its flowery scent as he took in great gulps of air.

"So, I guess this means you still want me?" he asked breathlessly, and she chuckled.

"Yes, I still want you, you idiot," she said as she raised her head, smiling. He smiled back at her and hugged her close.

"I was so afraid I'd lost you," he whispered, and felt her arms tighten around him.

"You'll never lose me," she whispered back, and planted a soft kiss on his jaw. He sighed contentedly as he felt happiness bloom in his chest. He examined the emotion curiously, even as it radiated through him. So, this was what it felt like to be happy—really, truly happy. It was a beautiful feeling. He rested his head on top of Ginny's again and closed his eyes.

He could have stayed like that for hours, but a few minutes later, he heard his parents' feet on the stairs and raised his head. In a moment, James appeared in the doorway, followed closely by Lily. James stopped short as soon as he saw them, a huge grin appearing on his face.

"Took my advice, did you?" he said smugly, and Harry smiled. Before he could reply, however, his mother came up behind James and ducked under his arm, sliding a hand around his waist.

"You gave him advice? I'm surprised Ginny hasn't punched him yet," she said, raising her eyebrows. James opened his mouth immediately, but whatever reply he came up with was drowned by Harry and Ginny's laughter. He huffed and pulled away from Lily, marching to the stove and reaching for the kettle.

"Anyone else want a cup of tea?" he asked as he filled it. Everyone nodded their assent, and soon they were gathered in the sitting room, steaming cups in front of them.

Lily sipped hers slowly as she sat on the floor and leaned against James's legs. Harry was strangely reminded of an afternoon in the Gryffindor common room, when Ginny had leaned against him just as his mother leaned against his father now. He smiled as he raised his cup to his lips, and his father caught his eye.

"What's so funny?" James wanted to know, and Harry chuckled.

"You just reminded me of us for a minute. Remember that day last spring, when you decided to…er…experiment on me, Ginny?"

She looked confused for a moment, but then her eyes lit up, and smirk spread across her face.

"What, with my make-up?" she asked, and James nearly spit out his tea.

"You let her put _make-up_ on you?" he asked, incredulous.

Harry blushed. "Well, it wasn't exactly like that, you see," he began, but Ginny interrupted him.

"Remember how we told you earlier about the rumor that Harry had a Horntail tattoo on his chest?" James nodded, and she continued. "Well, we were talking about it in the common room later, and I decided to draw a Horntail on his chest with my make-up, just to see what it would look like." She grinned. "It was quite entertaining."

The Potters burst into laughter at this, followed closely by Harry and Ginny.

"Shhh!" Lily hushed, holding her sides. "We'll wake the baby! I only just got him down to sleep!"

They tried to quiet down, though it appeared especially difficult for James, who kept snickering at odd moments. Lily tried to ignore him, and turned back to her son.

"So, how did we remind you of yourselves? I mean, other than the obvious resemblance."

Harry smiled and stroked Ginny's hair as he answered his mother. "We used to sit like that a lot, me in the chair and Ginny leaning against my legs," he said quietly, and Ginny scooted closer to him. He glanced over at her and draped his arm around her shoulders.

They'd started out sitting a careful distance apart on the couch, but as the conversation progressed to talk of Quidditch and school, they forgot themselves and moved closer, until Ginny was sprawled in Harry's lap, and he had one arm wrapped around her while his free hand threaded its fingers through her hair. James noticed and nudged Lily, sharing a private smile with her that had Harry asking what the joke was.

"Oh, it's nothing. You just seem much more…comfortable, that's all," James said, wagging his eyebrows at his son. Harry felt his cheeks burn, but smiled at his father anyway.

"I decided to take your advice," he said seriously. "Pushing her away won't keep her safe, and she won't let me anyway." Ginny punched him gently in the arm, and he grinned and pulled her closer to kiss the top of her head.

Lily sighed as she watched them, and reached up for James's hand just as he reached down for hers.

"It's a pity you still have to worry about the war, like we do," she mused, absently stroking her thumb across the top of her husband's hand. He squeezed her fingers lightly, and she returned it. "You'd think it would be over, if not by now, then at least by your time. Nearly twenty years," she continued, shaking her head. "So many are already dead…"

A lump formed in Harry's throat as her voice trailed off. "Yeah," he mumbled, suddenly very interested in the rug. Ginny's expression flashed from contentment to worry, and she sat up in Harry's lap as he turned towards her and tightened his embrace. She slid one arm around his back, and raised her other hand to his face. He gave her a weak smile before glancing away again.

Lily caught his change in mood at once and half-rose, suddenly concerned. "Are you all right, Harry?" she asked, and James looked at him closely as he, too, noticed the tension in his son.

Harry nodded, not looking up. "I'm fine," he said flatly. "I just don't like talking about the war, that's all."

"Oh," Lily said, a little taken aback. "I'm sorry. We won't mention it again."

He shrugged. "Thanks. It's just…I've been really involved in it since I was eleven. You might say it's taken over my life. And now that I'm here with you…I don't want it to taint the time we have together. It's too precious."

"Don't worry, son," James said bracingly. "We'll have a brilliant Christmas. The first of many!"

Harry jerked his head down in what could have been a nod of acknowledgement, but his mother saw his features twist into a painful mask as he looked away. Ginny started talking to James about Quidditch in an attempt to draw their attention away from Harry as he struggled to regain his calm. He'd almost made a dangerous slip, and he didn't want it to happen again. He tried to show interest in James and Ginny's conversation, but he could feel his mother's eyes on him, and tried to avoid her gaze.

"Harry, look at me," Lily said sharply, interrupting the Quidditch talk, and he was so startled to hear her speak that way that he looked up automatically. He looked away quickly, but not before she saw the pain swimming in his eyes. Lily rose and walked over to her son, kneeling in front of him.

"What's wrong? Something's bothering you, something that hurts very badly. What is it?" she asked gently, taking his face and making him meet her gaze when he tried to turn away.

"I—it's nothing. I'm fine." He gave her the same weak smile he'd given Ginny earlier, but it didn't work. The façade he'd built was starting to crack, and if Lily pushed very much harder, she'd shatter the whole thing.

She pushed.

"No, you're not! I'm your mother; I can tell something's wrong." She smiled. "You should know that."

A flash of pain crossed Harry's face again before he smiled, but this time it was more like a grimace. "Yeah…yeah, I've had _loads _of experience with your motherly instincts," he muttered. Lily's forehead wrinkled as she heard the lie in his voice.

He started to untangle himself from Ginny. "I'm not feeling very well…. I – I think I'll go to the bathroom." Ginny nodded, concern in her eyes.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" she asked.

He shrugged, and said simply, "I'll survive. I always do."

Lily laid a hand on his arm as he started to get up. "We love you, you know, your father and I. Even if we don't know this version of you very well yet. And I want you to know, you can always come to us if you need us, either of us, even if it's just to talk."

Then she placed her arms around him and hugged him tightly, and he felt the tears start leaking out of his eyes. He cursed them, but couldn't stop them, any more than he could make his heart stop beating.

He collapsed back on the sofa as soon as his mother let go and buried his head in his hands. Ginny pulled him to her, and he hid his face in her shoulder as she tried to sooth him.

"It's all right, Harry, I'm here. I'm right here, and so's your mum, and your dad. We're all here for you, don't worry, it will be all right," she murmured, barely loud enough for him to make out her words. They helped steady him, but his control was still incredibly shaky, and he could feel himself slipping as he felt his mother's arms encircle him again.

"Oh, my dear," Lily breathed as James came and knelt beside her, his hand on Harry's shoulder. "It's all right, we're here for you, we'll never leave you."

He almost lost it then, but managed to hold on to his fragile self-control by the tips of his fingers, barely containing the emotion that threatened to overwhelm him.

"Did you lose someone close to you?" Lily's gentle question cracked his resolve, and he nodded again, his hands balling into fists so tight that his fingernails began cutting into his skin. He tried to make himself focus on them instead of his mother, but her words seemed to reverberate around his head.

_Did you lose…lose someone…someone close to you…lose someone…did you…_

"Yes," he gasped, to fill the silence and drown out the relentless echoes in his mind. "Yes, I've lost nearly everyone."

Lily held him tighter as he began to shake, exchanging a worried glance with James, who shrugged helplessly and squeezed his son's shoulder.

"Everyone?" she asked tentatively, "Surely not _everyone_. You've still got Ginny, and…and me and your father…" Her voice faltered as Harry's broke in. It was hoarse, as if the words were being torn out of his throat.

"No, no, I don't have you or Dad, I lost you both before I could remember you…. I lost you…you and Sirius and Dumbledore...and Cedric…. I tried to save him, I tried, but I just wasn't fast enough…Sirius, too, and Dumbledore…. I couldn't save them, _any_ of them, and if they hadn't been trying to protect me they might not have died…."

He was sobbing now—great, harsh sobs that stole his breath and made his words come out in spurts. Ginny stroked his hair as his mother held him, tears rolling down Lily's cheeks as her son's anguish poured out of him. James had wrapped his arms around them both when Harry began speaking, and he continued to hold them, offering what comfort he could to his wife and son as he waited out the storm of grief that battered his family.


	12. Resignation

Chapter 12

6

**Chapter 12: Resignation**

After what seemed like hours, Harry quieted and slumped in his mother's embrace. He felt completely drained, and while he had a sick, hollow feeling in his stomach for his indiscretion, he was also strangely liberated. They knew now, and while he still had to be careful about what he told them, the barrier of the unknown future no longer lay between them.

He raised his head and gently began untangling himself from his mother's arms. She held on for a moment, then sighed and let go, leaning back against his father. James wrapped his arms around Lily, kissing the top of her head and stroking her hair.

Harry leaned against Ginny, running one hand through his hair and down his face. He kept his hand over his eyes as he mumbled, "So now you know."

"Oh, Harry," Lily whispered, her eyes immediately filling up with tears. "I – I don't know what to say. Is there any way to stop it?"

"No," he said, his voice full of bitterness and angry grief as his other hand curled into a fist. "I keep trying to think of a way, and I just can't see one. No matter what I do, it will change everything, and Voldemort might never be defeated." He raised his other hand from his face and finally looked straight at his parents. "It's got to be me, you see," he said slowly. "There's – there's a prophecy. Because of – of you, and your love for me, I'm the only one that can kill him. You save me, and somehow, that makes me his mortal enemy. And – "

He stopped and took a deep breath before continuing. "And if I tell you how you – you die, and it doesn't happen that way, then no one may ever be born that can stop him, or he'll just try again and it will happen anyway." He rubbed his hands over his face again, kneading his eyes with his knuckles.

"Look, I'm not explaining this very well. I just…I just want you to know that I would do almost anything to save you, even if it meant dying." He raised his face from his hands and looked straight at them, his eyes pleading with them to understand.

"But…if I save you, I murder hundreds, and…I just… can't do that."

They looked back at him, their gazes sorrowful, but resigned. Lily reached out to him and took his hand.

"We understand, son. It's one of the things we knew might happen when we joined the Order of the Phoenix. The greater good comes first – and choosing to save the wizarding world over two lives is certainly the greater good. It's a hard, hard choice. I – I'm not sure I could make it. But we know it's the right one, and we're proud of you for it." 

James nodded silently, lending his support to his wife's words. The edges of Harry's mouth turned up, though it wasn't a smile by any means.

"Thank you for understanding," he said quietly. "I – I want to save you more than anything. Your absence has made my life so miserable I can barely stand it, and I'm so incredibly tempted to just ignore everything and tell everyone to go find another hero, but…I…I can't."

Lily squeezed his hand. "We understand," she said again. Then her manner became brisk, and acquired a kind of forced cheerfulness. "Anyway, it's getting late, and you must be tired. And the baby will have me up all night, I'm sure." She smiled slightly and wagged her finger at Harry. "You're a good baby so far, but you never sleep! Ever!"

Harry couldn't help himself; he grinned. "Still don't," he pronounced, rising from the sofa and helping Ginny to her feet. "I'm the world's worst insomniac, in addition to being its savior. Ginny's had a bit of experience with that. The number of time she found me in the common room at two in the morning…" She rolled her eyes at him, a tiny smile appearing on her face.

"I can't count those times on both hands, and you certainly didn't sleep last night. Maybe tonight you'll get some rest."

He turned his grin on her. "Maybe I will, and maybe I won't," he said, and winked cheekily at her before suddenly looking worried. "I mean, I won't try anything, Ginny, that came out wrong – "

But her chuckle cut him off as she linked her arm with his and pulled him towards the stairs. He followed her a step before stopping and turning back to his parents, who still sat on the floor in each other's arms. His mother had slumped against her husband, the light going out of her face as soon as her son's back had turned. Harry knelt and wrapped them both in a tight embrace, and when he let go, Lily was blinking back tears, and even James' eyes were bright.

"We love you, son," he said gruffly. "You know that, right?" Harry nodded, a lump blocking his throat, before hurrying up the stairs to Ginny. She took his hand when he reached her, shooting a sympathetic glance over her shoulder at his parents and catching a glimpse of the pain they had mostly hidden from Harry before the door shut behind her.

Harry moved to the bed as soon as the door was closed, letting go of her hand and sitting heavily on it, He rubbed his eyes tiredly, and Ginny hurried over to him, but he waved away her concern.

"I'm fine, Ginny, I'm not going to break down again. I just…I just can't believe I told them." He hit the pillow, his fist making a muted "fwap" as it connected. "I could've just ruined everything. And now, they'll be looking over their shoulders and expecting death at every turn."

He sighed and fell back against the pillow he had hit, one hand shielding his eyes. Ginny crawled up beside him and nestled against him, and he pulled her close with his other arm. They lay like that for a long while, not saying anything, as the room grew dark and the light shining from under the door blinked out. Harry drew comfort and strength from her by her mere presence, which told him that she was there for him, and that she'd never leave him, even if he turned her away.

"I love you, you know," she whispered, just when he thought she'd drifted off to sleep. He smiled and tightened his embrace, turning his body so that they were facing one another. He could barely make out her features in the dark, but he knew them so well that it didn't matter. He ran his fingers lightly over her face, his touch feather-light.

He followed his fingers with his lips, kissing her forehead, her closed eyes, and her nose. His mouth hovered around hers, brushing her lips as they parted, and he breathed, "I love you, too."

She smiled against his lips, wound her fingers in his hair, and pressed her mouth to his. He kissed her deeply in return, cupping the back of her head with one hand and using the other to pull her as close to him as he possibly could. Ginny tangled her legs with his, and in the dark it was nearly impossible for them to tell where one left off and the other began.

"Ginny…" he breathed as he finally broke the kiss, turning his attention to her neck and shoulder, the flowery scent of her hair surrounding and intoxicating him. Her skin shivered each time he touched it, and she made low, humming sounds that he felt vibrate along her throat as he followed it with his mouth, stopping when he reached the neckline of her shirt.

"Mmm, don't stop, that's lovely," she murmured, and he drew a quick breath before placing his lips in the hollow of her throat. He stroked her hair back away from her face and ran his hand down her arm to thread his fingers through hers.

He pulled away abruptly, clutching the fabric of her shirt and burying his face in her hair.

"We should probably stop," he muttered, and she sighed. 

"Probably," she said wistfully. He felt her smile against his neck. "You have such self-control," she commented, laughing softly. She rolled on top of him, taking him by surprise. "It makes me wonder what it will take for you to finally lose it," she teased, and he smiled.

"I'm sure you'll find out soon," he replied, stroking her cheek and drawing her back down to kiss her, her hair falling around them in curtains.

"Well, good night then, Harry, since you're so determined to be a gentleman. Which is definitely not a bad thing," she said when they finally broke apart, kissing him playfully on the cheek. Harry smiled, almost feeling happy again, before kissing her back. The only thing that stopped that feeling from being complete was the sick hollowness that still lay in his stomach, like a dead thing, from his indiscretion earlier.

"Good night, Ginny," he replied as she pulled the covers up and snuggled close to him.

He stayed wrapped around her, listening to the sound of her steady breathing long after she'd fallen asleep. He smiled as she mumbled something too faint for him to hear. He told himself it was his name.

After several more minutes, when he was sure she wouldn't wake up, he rose quietly, edging himself slowly out of the bed. Ginny turned in her sleep, reaching out to him as she sensed his absence, but he was back in moments, the knife Sirius had given him for his fifteenth birthday clutched in one hand.

"It's all right, Ginny, I'm here," he soothed, stroking her hair with one hand and kissing her forehead. She smiled and cuddled close to him, settling back into a deep sleep.

Once she had quieted, Harry took a few locks of her long red hair and quickly cut them from her head. Not enough that she'd notice the difference, but enough for his purpose. He stuck the hairs in the drawer of the bedside table, and then curled his body around Ginny's, finally letting himself relax enough to fall asleep.

Lily gathered her tiny son in her arms, drinking him in. According to Harry, she had a limited time with him, and she wasn't going to waste a second of it. She smoothed his baby fine hair, which was already as unruly as his father's, and ran her fingers over his soft skin. He smelled of baby powder and milk, a scent she'd previously associated with all babies, but now seemed to be unique to her little Harry.

She barely heard James enter the nursery, she was so engrossed in her son. Her husband came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, leaning his head over her shoulder to look down at her and his son, and Lily nearly jumped out of his arms. He smiled and kissed her on the cheek.

"Sorry," he whispered. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't, really," she lied, smiling weakly back at him as he reached one hand around her to stroke his son's cheek. Harry yawned and squirmed a little before sinking back into sleep, clutching one of his father's fingers in his tiny hand. Lily bent her head, hiding her face, and a moment later, James felt a drop of water land on his hand. He tilted his wife's wet face towards him.

"Why are you crying?" James asked softly. "Is it about what Harry said this evening?"

"I…I just wish we had more time. We don't even know how much we have left," Lily said brokenly, and James tightened his grip around her.

"It doesn't matter," he said quietly. "We never knew how much time we had together to begin with. I mean, it was enough of a risk having a baby now, instead of waiting until the war's over. Now, we know our time together will be less rather than more. We just have to make it count." He smiled sadly. "We're actually getting the best of both worlds right now, if you think about it. We're getting to see the man he'll become, which is going a long way towards easing my mind about things. I mean, I wish it could be different – Merlin, I wish it could be different – but, seeing him here, healthy and as normal as any young man, it makes me think that things will turn out all right in the end."

Lily nodded an agreement as tears kept leaking out of her eyes. Soon she was sobbing, baby Harry shaking in her arms. He scrunched his face and began to make grizzling noises, the way all uneasy babies do when they're about to wake up, and not happy about it.

James took him from Lily, who let him go reluctantly. She hugged herself, still sniffling, as her husband gently eased the baby back into sleep before laying him carefully down in his crib. James tucked a blanket around Harry's body, placing his favorite stuffed hippogriff next to him.

When he was finished, James remained by the crib, gazing down at his son. Lily moved beside him and slid an arm around his waist, leaning her head against his shoulder. She was still crying, though her sobs had grown less violent, and James pulled her into an embrace, trying to soothe her even as a lump formed in his own throat.

"Oh, James," she whispered, "I – I don't want to die. Not yet, especially not yet! Harry'll be all alone…who'll take care of him?"

He rubbed her back soothingly. "Well, Sirius is his godfather, though I was rather hoping he'd never have to fulfill all of his duties. Can you see Sirius as a father?" he joked. Lily smiled wetly. "Seriously, though, Sirius loves him like a son already. And I'm sure he'll have lots of help; the Weasleys, for example. Molly's one of the most motherly people we know."

"Alice, too. I swear, she'll have as many as Molly in a few years. And little Neville's nearly Harry's age. Think what friends they might be!" She forgot herself for a moment, imagining a bright and happy future for her son, though she wasn't in it. Her husband smiled encouragingly and kissed her forehead.

"You see? It will work out, in the end. Our little boy'll be cared for, don't worry. Now, you're worn out from everything that's happened. Why don't we go to bed?" James coaxed.

Lily nodded, wiping her cheeks with the back of one hand as James led her to the entrance of the nursery with the other. She hesitated at the door, turning back to gaze at her son's crib for a moment before following James wearily to their room.

Comforted by the airy castles they had built, James and Lily slipped into sleep, unaware that their castles would fall soon after they did.


	13. Explanations

11

**Chapter 13**

Hermione jerked awake the next morning as her alarm went off at seven. She blinked once before rolling over and pulling a pillow over her head, trying to ignore the shrill ringing of the clock next to her. She'd been having such a lovely dream, too….

She smiled sleepily and yawned. She couldn't remember much about it now, but it had involved Ron, and they'd been about to kiss… but naturally, her alarm had gone off before their lips had touched.

And it was still going off. It was getting rather annoying, actually. She rolled over and slammed her hand on the button, though she lay there for another few minutes before reluctantly getting up. Hermione yawned as she shuffled towards the bathroom that joined their two rooms. As she reached for the handle, it swung open, and she stood there, blinking, as Ron stepped through the door.

"Oh! Morning, Ron," she said, smiling at him as she reached up to smooth down his hair, which was sticking up all over his head, even worse than Harry's always was.

"Morning, 'Mione," he yawned, rubbing his eyes. "Sleep good?"

He smiled sleepily and yawned hugely again before bending forward to brush his lips across her cheek. Her eyes widened in shock, and she nodded dumbly as she slipped past him to the bathroom.

As soon as the door was shut, she flew to the mirror and examined her cheek where his lips had touched it. Was there something there? That was the only thing she could think of to explain why he'd done it. Unless, of course, he'd done it on accident, which, knowing Ron, was entirely possible. He might not even realize he'd touched her!

She didn't see anything. Her fingers touched her face, almost of their own accord, and she grinned happily at her reflection for a moment before starting her preparations for the day.

A little while later, when the three of them were dressed and picking at the hotel's idea of breakfast, the ring of the bedside telephone shattered the quiet. Ron jumped and Tonks did the same, managing to spill her cereal all over herself. She grumbled quietly as she mopped up the mess, while Hermione answered the phone.

"Hello?" she asked in confusion. Who could be calling? Harry and Ginny would use the Galleons, wouldn't they? Or maybe they would just come to the front desk, like the hotel clerk was telling her. "Oh, yes, send them right up, please," she said, and hung up the phone.

"Harry and Ginny are here!" she announced, a wide smile plastered across her face.

"Good," Ron grunted, poking his spoon in his cereal. "I can make sure Ginny's all right myself!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Really, Ron, when has Harry ever let any harm come to her? Or anyone else, for that matter, if he could help it?'

Ron shrugged and stared grumpily at his bowl, remaining silent. He stood a moment later at Harry's knock, and opened the door to greet them.

"'Lo, Harry, Ginny. It's nice to see that Harry's kept you in one piece," he said grouchily. Harry looked taken aback at this, and Ginny rolled her eyes as the two of them entered the room.

"It's nice to see you too, Ron," she said sharply, "especially since, you know, Harry and I've been i_lost in time/i_ for the past few days, and I know you were worried about us."

Ron winced and stared down at his shoes. "Sorry," he mumbled, and Ginny sighed.

"Look, I know you were just worried about me, but i_really/i_, you've got to i_think/i_ before you open your mouth! I can take care of myself, as you well know, and if I couldn't, Harry would make sure nothing happened to me. So lay off of both of us just because you weren't able to protect me."

Ron looked pained, and Harry put an arm around Ginny's shoulders. "Ginny, I'm sure he didn't mean it like that," Harry soothed as she crossed her arms in exasperation.

"Look, Ginny, I really am sorry. I was…I was just really worried about you, okay?" Ron muttered, shuffling his feet. "I mean, you were lost in time! And Voldemort's still here, even if he's not looking for Harry yet, and he might have found you, and…and horrible things might have happened." He looked up at her anxiously as he continued. "I know you can take care of yourself, and I know Harry wouldn't let any harm come to you. It's just…well, you're my baby sister, and I don't want anything bad to happen to you. All right?"

Ginny's irritated expression softened as her brother attempted to redeem himself, and she threw her arms around him as soon as he finished speaking.

"Just don't let it happen again, all right?" she mumbled, and he nodded, squeezing her briefly before letting her go.

"I'll do my best," Ron said solemnly, before his face broke into a grin and he held a hand out to Harry. "Sorry about that, mate. How've you been?"

Harry grasped his hand and they pounded each other on the back before Harry turned to Hermione to give her a hug. She held on to his arms as he pulled away and stared into his face, searching it closely. He was pale, and his eyes looked bruised, like he hadn't slept in ages. He smiled faintly at her scrutiny, but it didn't reach his eyes, and she frowned worriedly.

"You haven't told them anything, have you?" she asked anxiously, and he shook his head reluctantly.

"Nothing important," he muttered, and Ginny threaded an arm around his waist as he drew back from Hermione. She wrinkled her forehead and opened her mouth to say something, but Ginny cut her off.

"He had a very hard time last night, Hermione," Ginny said quietly. "Leave him alone right now. I'll tell you everything later."

Surprised, Hermione shut her mouth abruptly but nodded in agreement. "I'm sorry," she said sincerely, and drew them further into the room. "Here, why don't you sit down? You can tell us everything that's happened to you so far."

They curled up together on the sofa, Ginny tucking herself under Harry's arm, and Tonks took the room's other chair. Hermione looked around to find a place to sit before sitting hesitantly next to Ron on the bed, her back poker-straight. She remained there for a short while as Harry and Ginny began telling them everything that'd happened, but she didn't sit still for long. She jumped up and started pacing the room about halfway through their story. Ron's proximity was clouding her thoughts, though she told herself she was simply working off excess energy.

But after her fifth pass around the room, Ron jumped up and grabbed her shoulders, making her come to an abrupt halt.

"Be i_still_!/i" he said, exasperated. "You're driving me mad!"

Hermione blinked at him and blushed. "I'm sorry, Ron, I'm just—"

"You're just worrying about nothing," he interrupted, smiling at her to take the sting out of his words. "Relax. If something bad happens, we'll fix it. Simple as that."

"Oh…all right. I'm sorry," she said, smiling back at him.

"Good," he said firmly, guiding her back to her seat on the bed, letting go of her as soon as she sat. The other occupants of the room watched their exchange in amusement, but didn't say anything.

"Right, so where were we?" Hermione asked, suddenly aware of the others' presence. They quickly rearranged their faces to look as innocent as possible.

"Yeah," said Ron. "What else has happened?"

Ginny continued where Harry had left off a few minutes before. "Well, when Harry and James got home, Dumbledore showed up, and started telling us what he'd found out about the circle. You know, about it's being strongest at the solstices and equinoxes and New Year's Eve. But you'd already told Harry that, so he told Dumbledore, and now Dumbledore wants to meet with you."

"What! When?" Hermione yelped.

Ginny shrugged. "I'm not really sure, he just said to tell you he wanted to talk to you later today. He'll probably want to talk to Tonks, too, though we didn't mention her."

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. "That'll be good; maybe we can figure out the exact time we all need to be at the circle in order for the magic to be strongest. That'll probably be midnight, but he may want to do some tests or something to make sure. Unless he's done so already, which he probably has."

"I think he wants to find out more about the future from you, to be honest," Ginny said dryly. "And to make sure we're not all Death Eaters bent on murdering the Potters in their beds, though I think he's pretty sure of that already."

Hermione scowled at that and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, we're only going to tell him what we absolutely have to. He should know that! I mean, honestly, it's not a good idea to mess with time! We really shouldn't even be here."

"No, we shouldn't, but we are. And we'll all be here a bit longer, Harry," Ron said, looking meaningfully at Hermione as he continued. "Me and Hermione managed to convince the Order that you deserved to spend some time with your parents, and that you wouldn't do anything to mess with time. Not on purpose, anyway."

Harry looked at the two of them gratefully. "Thank you," he said fervently. "This means more to me than you can imagine."

"We know, Harry," Ron said quietly. "That's what we told the Order."

"And you said you haven't messed anything up yet, so we were right," Hermione said, keeping her voice light. "Seriously, Harry, I do actually believe you won't do anything to mess up the future on purpose. I know you understand that you can't, and you won't, even though you want to. _I_ want to, to be honest." She sighed and looked at him, her face full of sadness for him. "Losing your parents hurt you so much, I'd do anything to help you get them back, if I could. That's why I agreed with Ron when he suggested they let you stay, even though there was a danger we'd change time."

Harry didn't say anything, just stood and embraced the two of them fiercely. Hermione's eyes were bright when he drew away, and Ron pretended to sneeze so he could blow his nose.

"You'd do the same for us," Ron said gruffly, stuffing his grubby handkerchief back in his pocket, and Hermione wrinkled her nose.

"Ew! Ron, that's disgusting."

"I could've used my sleeve! Which you seemed to do," he retorted, pointing to the wet patch on his shirt, and Hermione turned red.

"I didn't blow my nose! I was just—just a little…emotional, okay?" she sputtered.

"Right, whatever you say," Ron grumbled, but his eyes were smiling, and across the room, Tonks rolled her eyes. Ron immediately bristled.

"What? What'd I do now?" he demanded, and she shook her head, hiding a grin behind her hand.

"Oh, nothing, nothing. So, Harry, Ginny, what're your plans for today? It is Christmas Eve, after all."

He glanced at Ginny and stood abruptly. "Actually, I was thinking that Ron and I could go to the Quidditch store here; I want to get my dad a Nimbus 1700. He's been wanting one for ages, but I couldn't get him one when he was with me. You'd love this place, Ron; it's got everything you can possibly imagine that's related to Quidditch. Do you and Hermione want to come, too, Ginny? Or you could just wait here, we won't be gone long," Harry said.

Ginny looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, but then smiled and hooked her arm through Hermione's. "I think we can manage on our own; we'll have a grand time. But you need to do something about your appearance; we can't have half the town thinking you're your father," she pointed out, and Harry nodded.

"Right. Hermione, Tonks, can one of you…erm…make me look different?" he asked. They looked at each other, then at him, and grinned.

"Of course," Hermione said, twirling her wand. Tonks nodded, rolling up her sleeves.

"Nothing too crazy," Harry said, suddenly anxious. "I mean, I don't want to stand out or anything. Just, you know, blend in."

Tonks glanced over at Hermione. "Well, I guess the green Mohawk's out, then," she said, feigning regret, and Hermione snorted. Harry backed away a step, but Tonks waved him closer. "Don't worry, Harry, we'll make you as boring-looking as possible."

In moments, they'd camouflaged his scar, made his eyes blue, and changed his hair to a short sandy blond.

"There you go; nice and normal. Boring, just like I said," Tonks said as Harry examined their handiwork in the hotel's bathroom mirror.

"Well, no one will think I'm James, anyway. And I don't have a green Mohawk. Thanks," he said gratefully, and Tonks tried to look hurt.

"What? You're not into the rocker look? I think it'd suit you quite well; I mean, look at me!" She glanced slyly at Hermione. "Maybe next time."

Harry headed quickly for the door. "You coming, Ron?" he asked, his hand on the doorknob, and Ron nodded, clambering to his feet. They headed towards the door, waving goodbye as they left. Ginny blew Harry a kiss and he caught it, grinning, before they disappeared down the stairs. She shut the door after them, and Hermione pounced on her as soon as it closed.

"What happened, Ginny?" she asked anxiously. "What did he tell them? I mean, I know you said it wasn't really important, but—"

"I know, I know, you need to know," Ginny broke in, and sighed, scrubbing her face. "First…you have to understand how hard this is for him. I mean, he's never known his parents, and now he's got this chance to be with them, and they think they've got the rest of their lives to be with him, and it's just…it's really hard. I mean, our first night, after we'd convinced them we weren't Death Eaters, Lily asked him if she was a good mother."

Hermione's eyes started to fill. "Oh, poor Harry."

"Exactly. He told her she was the best mother ever; that she was the reason he was who he is. And as soon as she left the room, he broke down. Really, he's had astonishing self-control through all this. But last night…it broke again. In front of them, this time." She paused, as if unsure of how to go on.

"What happened?" Tonks asked, leaning forward.

"Well…it started out well enough. We were laughing and talking, and then Lily mentioned how sad it was that the war was still going on in our time. She said, 'So many are dead already,' and I think that got Harry thinking about how they were dead. Well, then he started to withdraw from everyone, and Lily noticed. She's really quite perceptive, but when she tried to comfort him, she just made it worse."

Ginny stopped again and rubbed her eyes. "It was so sad," she continued, her voice thickening. "She—she kept telling him that she'd be there for him, that she'd never leave him, and finally, he just blurted out that he'd lost everyone, her, James, Sirius, Dumbledore, Cedric…he just broke down completely, and we were all trying to comfort him."

"Oh, no," Hermione said softly. "Poor Harry, it must have been horrible for him."

Ginny nodded. "It was, but eventually, he calmed down, and then he explained that there was no way to stop them dying, that it would change everything and there'd been a prophecy, so it had to be him. And then he said he couldn't tell them how they died either, because then it might change everything, too."

She sighed heavily before continuing. "They seem to have taken it fairly well. I mean, they're obviously upset about it, but they're being pretty good about not asking Harry questions about the future. I think they're just trying to make the most of the time they have with him, now."

"That's good. His time with them shouldn't be ruined. I'm going to do my best to make sure it's not, anyway," Hermione said. "We'll stay here in the village as much as possible, so that Harry can spend more time with you and his parents."

Ginny smiled gratefully at her. "Thanks, Hermione, that means a great deal. I mean, not that I wouldn't love to have you and Ron there, but—"

"But it's Harry's only chance to spend time with his parents," Hermione broke in. "He has the rest of his life to spend with his friends. And we'll see you occasionally, of course, but, well, only when you need us."

"We'll be seeing you a lot, don't worry. And the Potters have invited you to Christmas dinner tomorrow, you know. They want to get to know their son's best friends. You, too, Tonks," Ginny added, and then grinned wickedly. "Remus should be there."

Tonks grinned back and rubbed her hands together delightedly, "Hooray! I can get a head start on him. Maybe I can catch him under the mistletoe…"

"I think James's other friends will be there too. Well, Sirius, anyway, since his family's practically disowned him. I'm not sure about Peter." A frown darkened her face. "I rather hope he doesn't come, the little rat. I'm not sure I could keep myself from trying to kill him, or at least telling everyone he's in Voldemort's pocket."

Tonks cleared her throat loudly. "Well, we'll take care of that if it comes to it. Dear Peter just might get a nasty case of food poisoning if he shows up, which will at least keep him out of sight and out of mind while he's there. And who knows?" she continued, fluttering her lashes innocently. "Maybe it'll be so bad he'll have to be taken home, poor thing."

Ginny tried not to laugh, but it escaped her anyway. It was infectious, and soon Hermione and Tonks were laughing with her.

"Speaking of Remus, how are things going for the two of you?" Ginny asked, once their giggles had subsided. "I haven't seen either of you in ages…"

They were still happily chatting an hour or so later when Harry and Ron came back from town. Harry had a long, thin parcel wrapped in brown paper under his arm, and a flat, square box in his other hand.

"It's a picture album, for my mum," he explained when they asked what the second package was. "I was hoping we could fill it while we were here, you know, since..." His voice trailed off, and he swallowed, suddenly melancholy. Ginny put an arm around his shoulders.

"Of course we'll fill it! We can take enough pictures of the four of you to take up at least half of it today!" she exclaimed, and took his hand. "Did you get a camera, too?"

Harry shook his head. "No, but I'm pretty sure my dad has one. We can all go back to their house and ask about it. I can leave their presents here, for now. And this way they can meet you before Christmas dinner."

"So you can make sure they approve of your friends?" Tonks asked, grinning, and he shrugged, smiling back at her.

"That, too," Harry admitted, as Ginny pulled him towards the door.

They reached the Potters' house twenty minutes later, and everyone stood back as Harry cautiously knocked on the faded wooden door.

"Lily? James? It's us, Harry and Ginny. We've brought our friends, if that's all right," he said, and Lily's voice immediately sounded through the door.

"Harry, how did the rumor get started that you have a Horntail tattooed on your chest?" she demanded.

"Ginny told a gossipy fourth-year that I had one, and it spread around Hogwarts," Harry answered, ignoring Ron's snort of laughter. The door was opened a moment later, and Lily smiled warmly.

"Hello! Come in, you must be freezing," she said, shooing them all inside.

"Lily, these are my best friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. Ron is Ginny's older brother," Harry explained as they entered the kitchen.

"One of them, anyway," Ron said, sticking out his hand to shake Lily's. Lily nodded, smiling. "I know, I've met the rest of your brothers a couple of times already. Honestly, I don't know how Molly does it," she said.

"Lily," Harry interrupted, " Is there a camera anywhere that we can borrow?"

Lily paused and thought for a moment, wrinkling her forehead as she tried to remember.

"There's one somewhere," she said, drifting through the kitchen. She began digging through drawers, pulling out all kinds of random things, including a hammer, an eraser, and a rubber chicken.

"Where did you last see it?" Ginny asked, opening cabinets.

"James and I used it a few days ago. Harry did the _cutest _thing – oh! We left it in the bedroom!" She hurried into their room, leaving the others standing in the kitchen.

"Aw, ickle Harry's just so adorable," Ron smirked, making his voice high and squeaky. Ginny punched him in the arm.

"Ow!" he yelped, rubbing his arm as Lily reappeared, camera in hand.

"Here you go! Do you know how to work it?" she asked, handing the camera to Harry. He shook his head mutely, and she started showing him what to do.

"What're you going to take pictures of?" she asked, bending her head over the camera.

"Oh, just, you know, us. I was thinking I would get a few pictures of you and Dad…you know, to remember…" Harry replied, his voice trailing off. Lily looked up at him and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Of course, dear," she said quietly. "I want some myself." Her eyes suddenly lit up. "Can you take some for us, too?" she asked, and Harry nodded happily.

"Sure," he said, and grasped her hand. "Come on, we're going to spend some time outside. Fresh air and all." He grinned over at Ginny. "And we never did settle our snowball fight, did we?"

She shook her head, grinning back at him. "No, we didn't. Though I think we need James here to settle everything properly." She threw Lily a pitying look. "You're about to get _creamed_."

Lily raised an eyebrow at her. "We'll see about that." She turned back to Harry, who was tugging her towards the door. "James is upstairs with the baby; you just went down for a nap," Lily replied, smiling, and Harry got an odd feeling. It was so strange to be told that he had just lain down for a nap, when he was standing downstairs in the kitchen.

"Here, I'll go get James," Lily said, slipping her hand out of Harry's grasp.

"We'll be outside," he called towards her, taking care to keep his voice low so as not to wake himself up.

They tramped outside, and as soon as they'd exited the house, Harry waved at Ron.

"Ambush?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. Ron grinned in agreement, and they all melted into the snow.

A few minutes later, Lily appeared in the doorway, James in tow. A tiny ball of light hovered by Lily's shoulder, pulsing gently as it emitted slow breathing sounds.

As soon as James stepped out of the door, a snowball hit his right shoulder, splattering over his face and hair.

"Hey!" he sputtered, wiping snow out of his eyes. "We've been ambushed! Run, Lily, run!"

"All's fair in love and war! And this is definitely war!" Ginny shouted, her voice echoing faintly.

"Ha! Those words will come back to haunt you!" James yelled back, hauling Lily behind the house.

After a vicious snow battle, the warring parties called a truce and trudged back to the house, where Lily made everyone cups of steaming hot tea.

"I've been meaning to ask you, Lily, what's that light by your ear?" Ginny asked as the light quivered. Lily turned her head towards the light, and smiled.

"Well, it's kind of like a little…monitor, so that I can hear Harry while he's sleeping. That way I can do things around the house or outside, but I can hear him if he wakes up or starts crying or something."

"Oh, that's clever!" Hermione exclaimed. "Like a baby monitor! Muggle parents use it," she explained as everyone but Lily looked at her blankly. Lily nodded.

"Yes, that's where I got the idea. I tweaked a Charm, and it works beautifully. You should both try it, if you ever have children."

Hermione's cheeks turned redder than they already were. "Oh, er, thanks Lily, I will," she mumbled. Ginny, her face the same shade of scarlet as Hermione's, simply nodded.

"So, erm, have you heard from Dumbledore today, Lily?" Ginny asked quickly. "He said he wanted to talk to Ron and Hermione, but we weren't sure when."

"Oh, yes, I talked to him earlier. He said he'd be by this evening, if it was convenient for your friends," Lily replied. She directed her next words at Ron and Hermoine. "You're welcome to stay for dinner, if you like. We'll just be having soup and sandwiches again, since I'll be cooking a big meal tomorrow, if that's all right."

Hermione beamed at her. "Oh, yes, that would be lovely! We'll need to contact Tonks – that's Nymphadora Tonks, our senior Order member, and let her know, but that should be fine. Would it be all right if she came too? I mean, she can come after dinner and just meet with Dumbledore or something."

Lily blinked, a little surprised, but nodded in agreement. "Certainly, that will be fine. She's welcome to come tomorrow too, if she likes."

"Wait…Nymphadora Tonks? Andromeda's daughter?" James asked, frowning in concentration. "Sirius' cousin?"

Hermione nodded. "Her. She's completely disowned the Blacks, well, except for Sirius, and is working as an Auror for the Ministry. And she's a member of the Order as well, but not many people know about it. She was the only person that no one would recognize, and she's got a lot more experience with this kind of thing than Ron and I. I'll go contact her now, if you don't mind?"

"Not at all," Lily said, and Hermione walked into the sitting room, pulling a little mirror out of her pocket.

A short while later, Tonks had arrived, and they'd sat down to a cheerful if simple meal of sandwiches and soup. Lily had made another batch of onion soup to add to what she'd made the day before, and added a salad. There was plenty to go around, even with three extra mouths to feed, especially since Ron counted as three people by himself. And for dessert, there was a huge slab of treacle tart.

"Ooooh, Lily! My very favorite!" James exclaimed, jumping up to kiss his wife on the cheek as she set the treacle on the table. She laughed and pushed him away.

"Guests first, James Potter!" She pretended to scold as she cut pieces for everyone, kissing him on the cheek in return as she set his plate in front of him. He beamed up at him.

"You are, without a doubt, the most wonderful wife in the world! And you make the best treacle tart, too," he mumbled through a mouthful of treacle. There was silence for a moment as everyone tucked in, but then a sharp knock at the kitchen door made everyone jump.


	14. God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen

9

**Christmas Eve**

James was on his feet in a moment, clutching his wand. "That's probably Dumbledore, but it's best to be ready," he said as he moved towards the door.

"Who is it?" he shouted.

"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," was the reply, and everyone at the table relaxed slightly.

"What's your favorite flavor of jam?" James asked, and when he heard, "Raspberry," he opened the door. There was the headmaster, smiling slightly as he entered the room.

"Speaking of raspberry jam, do you happen to have any, Lily?" he asked.

"Of course, Dumbledore; it's my favorite too," she admitted as she rose from the table. "Would you like some tea as well? I just put the kettle on."

"That would be wonderful, my dear," Dumbledore said as he sank into one of the kitchen chairs, his bones creaking in protest.

As Lily went to make him a cup of tea, Harry made introductions.

"These are my friends, Ron and Hermione, and Nymphadora Tonks, a member of the Order of the Phoenix. They've come to make sure that Ginny and I get home safely," he explained.

"And to make sure that the future isn't changed, of course," Hermione added pointedly, crossing her arms over her chest as Tonks nodded in agreement. Dumbledore raised his bushy eyebrows at her comment.

"Of course," he replied smoothly. "Now, I understand you will be returning by way of the stone circle?"

"Yes, and any information you could give us on it would be much appreciated," Hermione said earnestly, momentarily forgetting to be defensive and leaning forward. "Do you know how it works? I've done a bit of research, of course, but I haven't gotten a chance to examine it closely…"

She peppered him with questions about the circle and took up most of his attention, though the others chimed in occasionally. After about an hour, during which Hermione, Tonks, and Dumbledore worked out exactly how they would get back to the future, the headmaster rose to take his leave.

"I must be going. It's getting late, and I'm an old man who needs his rest," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling cheerfully. "I will see you again in a few days, unless you need me for anything. Happy Christmas!"

And with that, he left, stepping out of the door and Disapparating off of the front step.

"Whew!" Hermione said, slumping back in her chair as soon as he left. "I'm glad that's all sorted. Not that I was worried, of course," she added.

"Of course you weren't worried," Ron soothed, glancing over at Harry and rolling his eyes. Harry hid a smile as Ron continued, "You've got everything planned out, so we won't have anything to worry about when we leave on New Year's Eve."

Hermione sighed and rubbed her temples, wincing as she did so. "Yes, I suppose so. But now I've got a raging headache."

"It might be from Dumbledore's attempt at Legilimancy," Tonks added, and the others looked at her in surprise. She shrugged. "I thought I felt something while we were talking to him, and I've got a pounding head now, too. Wouldn't surprise me if he tried. I'd do it myself, if I were him."

A worried frown appeared on Ron's face as he stood and helped Hermione to her feet. He led her into the sitting room, and the others followed. "Here, why don't you lie down? I'll make some more tea…or something. Are you cold? Do you need a blanket or anything?" The stream of words finally stopped as he helped her onto the couch with surprising gentleness.

"Ron! Stop fussing!" she exclaimed irritably, "You don't have to worry; it's just a headache. And what about Tonks? You're not fussing over her!"

He scowled and stuffed a pillow behind her head. "You're too stubborn for you own good," he snapped, ignoring her comment about Tonks. "You're not invincible, so just admit that you need rest. Now, shut up and relax!"

"But I don't need – " she began, but he clapped a hand over her mouth, abruptly shutting off the stream of words.

"Shh! Just…stop worrying, for a minute, all right? Relax. If we make you comfortable now, you'll feel better that much sooner," Ron said as he pulled a blanket over her with her other hand. "Let me take care of you, for once," he said quietly as he took his hand away from her mouth, and Hermione's expression softened. She nodded and settled back into the pillow.

"You can lie down in the guest room if you like, where it's quieter," Lily volunteered, but Hermione shook her head.

"No, please, I'll be fine in a few minutes. Thank you, though," Hermione replied as Ron brought her a cup of tea, making sure to hand one to Tonks as well, who accepted it gratefully. "And thank you, Ron," Hermione said to him as he sat in a chair next to the couch.

"Yeah, thanks," Tonks mumbled as she sipped her tea, well aware that Ron's full attention was on Hermione.

"It's just a cup of tea," he mumbled, his cheeks turning pink. Hermione gave him an odd look.

"I know," she said. "But thank you anyway."

He smiled and laid a hand over hers briefly. "You're welcome," he said, meeting her eyes. They stared at each other like that for a minute, oblivious to everyone around them, until Lily cleared her throat.

"Ginny, could you come here for a minute?" Lily asked, beckoning her. "I, er, need some help in the kitchen. I've got some cookies I want to put on for everyone."

"All right!" James exclaimed, jumping up and grabbing her around the waist. "Did I mention you're the best wife ever? Treacle _and_ cookies!"

She laughed and kissed him on the cheek before squirming out of his arms. "Only a few times a day, but I never get tired of hearing it. Besides, it's Christmas Eve. Having freshly baked cookies on Christmas Eve is a tradition that should always be carried out. We'll be back in a few minutes; they won't take long. Come on, Ginny."

Ginny rose and followed Lily into the kitchen, a curious look on her face.

"Yes?" she asked, leaning on the counter as Lily took a jar of cookie dough out of the icebox and flicked her wand at the oven to turn it on. "What is it, Lily?"

"Sorry, I'm a little confused. What's going on between your friends?" Lily asked as she started shaping the dough into cookies. "They're just…acting a little strange and I wanted to make sure everything was all right. Could you hand me the cookie sheet under the stove?"

Ginny blinked, a little taken aback. "What? You mean Ron and Hermione?" She asked as she reached for the cookie sheet.

Lily nodded as she started laying out the cookies on the sheet. "Yes, I don't want to say anything wrong, so I just wanted to be sure before I did. Are they going out or something? They aren't having a row, are they?"

"Oh, right," Ginny chuckled. "Well, my idiot brother's had the hots for Hermione since they were, oh, eleven or twelve. They'll probably start going out once they stop fighting long enough. Merlin only knows when that will happen, though it might be soon, with the way they've been acting lately."

"Ah, so that's how it is," Lily said, smiling slightly as she slid the pan into the oven and set the timer. "I was wondering. Thanks for clearing that up."

She and Ginny continued to chat as they waited for the cookies to bake for the next few minutes. Lily asked Ginny all kinds of questions, about her family, school, and of course, her relationship with Harry.

"You're the only girlfriend of his I'll ever meet, you see," Lily explained, a hint of sadness creeping into her voice. But then she smiled. "And from what I can see, you're very important to him, and it makes me glad that he has you, no matter how long you two are together."

"Thank you," Ginny said quietly. "That really means a lot to me, especially coming from you." She hesitated a moment before blurting, "I'd always wanted to meet you, even though I didn't think it was possible. I really hoped you'd like me."

Lily smiled again as the timer dinged. "And I really do," she replied gently as she took the cookies out of the oven. "I like you for yourself, and because you're good for him. You remind me a little of myself. With any luck, now that he's realized that it won't protect you to distance himself, the two of you can be happy together. Now, let's get these to everyone in the sitting room before they get cold. Then your brother can fuss over Hermione some more."

Ginny laughed and followed her into the sitting room.

"You wouldn't have liked his first girlfriend anyway. She cried too much," Ginny commented, and Lily made a face.

"I never liked criers. Too much drama for everyone involved," she replied.

As they entered, they heard James ask Ron the very question Lily had been afraid of.

"So, how long have you two been going out?"

Ron turned bright red and sat bolt upright, opening his mouth like a startled fish. "Erm…well, er, we're not…that is…we're just…erm, well, best friends." He looked beseechingly at Hermione, who was just as red as he was.

"Oh, erm, yes, just friends, that's right," she started babbling. "Well, we pretended to be going out while we were in the village, anyway, just because we thought it'd look a little funny to people if Ron was just a friend, you know, since friends don't usually spend the holidays with girls that aren't their girlfriends. Well, not usually. We always spend the holidays together though, Ron and Harry and I. Because we're really good friends, best friends, actually. Like Ron said."

James looked confused.

"Oh," he finally said, glancing from one to the other.

"Anyone want a cookie? They're chocolate, and I just took them out of the oven, so they're still nice and hot!" Lily exclaimed brightly, bustling over with the tray. Ginny trailed behind her, an amused expression on her face as Lily passed out cookies and napkins to everyone, chattering like a magpie as she tried to breakup the awkwardness that had appeared in the room.

Just then, the ball of light near Lily's head started making cooing noises, and she whirled about, setting the tray on the coffee table. "Sounds like the baby's awake," she said, smiling as she hurried upstairs. She reappeared momentarily, carrying little Harry. He smiled happily and wriggled in her arms as she made her way downstairs.

"Would you like to hold him, Hermione?" Lily asked, holding him out to her.

"Oh! Oh, no, I don't know…that is, I'm not used to babies, I – I might drop him," Hermione stammered, but Lily thrust the baby in her arms despite her protests.

"I'm sure you'll be fine," Lily soothed. "See? He likes you already!"

Hermione cradled him carefully, but he squirmed and tried to sit up in her arms. He stared solemnly at her, and reached a pudgy hand to grab at her hair. He managed to get a handful, and pulled.

"Ow! Ow, ow! No!" Hermione exclaimed, prying his hand open and releasing her hair. "He's got a really strong grip," she told Lily, who nodded ruefully.

"Yes, sorry, I should've warned you about that," said Lily. "It's one reason I try to wear my hair up when I'm holding him, otherwise he ends up pulling it out."

"Ah, okay," Hermione replied, trying to hold the infant away from her hair while still supporting him. "Erm, here, why don't you take him back? Unless Ginny wants to hold him?" She looked hopefully towards Ginny, who laughed and took him from her. He started cooing and babbling to Ginny as soon as he was in her arms, patting her cheeks and trying to grab her nose.

She laughed and played with him as the others talked and munched on cookies and milk.

"Mmmm, Lily, these are amazing! Better than last time!" James said enthusiastically through a mouthful of cookies.

"That's what you said last time, too. And every other time I've made cookies," she teased him, but he shrugged.

"What can I say? You just get better and better!" he said, winking at her.

The rest of the evening passed quickly as they shared stories and laughter, though the ones from the future were very careful not to reveal too much. Every now and again, Harry would start to say something, only to stop abruptly and press his lips together as if he were afraid of saying too much. But he had help with the others, especially from Ron and Ginny, who regaled the Potters with tales of their childhood at the Weasley's.

Eventually, however, it came to an end.

"We'd better be going soon, it's getting late," Tonks said, sighing as she put down her cup reluctantly. Hermione nodded in agreement and began untangling her legs from the blanket Ron had thrown over her earlier. He offered a hand to help her up, but she ignored it.

"I'm fine now, Ron, really," she said, but just as she did, her foot slipped on the rug, and she fell backwards onto the sofa. Ron lunged to catch her, but only succeeded in falling on top of her. Eventually they managed to scramble back up, faces red as everyone else pretended not to smile.

Ginny handed the baby to Lily, and she and Harry walked into the kitchen with Ron, Hermione and Tonks to tell them good-bye. Hermione hugged both of them tightly before she headed towards the door with Ron, but then suddenly stopped and whirled around, hand in her pocket.

"Oh, Harry, before I forget, Tonks gave me an enchanted mirror for you. She gave Ginny one as well, but you and Ron were gone, so we forgot to tell you at the hotel," she explained, handing the mirror to Harry. He took it and examined it, frowning a little.

Ginny stepped closer to him and put a hand on his shoulder as she told him, "I can show you how to work it; it's not hard at all." She and Hermione shared a smile as she continued, "Tonks showed me and Hermione earlier."

"Yeah, it's pretty simple, really," Tonks said, grinning. "I'm sure you'll get the hang of it, 'specially with Ginny teaching you. And thank your parents for asking me to come, it was a great evening. You two walking back?" She directed her last question to Ron, who nodded and moved a little closer to Hermione. Tonks smiled again.

"Well, I'll see you back at the hotel. Good night, Harry, Ginny," she said as she stepped through the doorway and Disapparated on the other side. The others were silent for a moment after they left, and then Hermione shook her head briskly.

"Right, well, you two have a good night." Her eyes softened as she glanced at Harry. "Your parents are lovely, Harry."

He nodded. "Yeah, they're great," he said, his voice suddenly thick. "I'm really glad I've got this time with them."

Ginny put her arm around him, and he drew her close, kissing the top of her head.

"I won't waste it," he murmured.

They were all silent for a moment, but Ron grabbed Hermione's hand before it turned awkward.

"Come on, Hermione, we need to get back, and it's getting dark. See you later, Harry, Ginny." He pulled her away, practically dragging her out as the door shut behind them.

She shook his hand off once they were a few feet away.

"Listen, Ronald Weasley, you have no right to_ manhandle_ me just because you think it's time to go!" she snapped.

"Hermione, please, I was just trying to get us out of there before something _else_ happened. Besides, Harry needs to spend time with his parents – you said so yourself!" he replied, irritation evident in his voice. "And we really do need to get back – it's getting dark, and there are still Death Eaters looking for Harry's parents. I'll protect you and all, but I'd rather be careful and not have to."

She snorted softly, but didn't comment, stuffing her hands in her pockets and stalking away from him. Ron sighed and hurried after her until he had caught up, and they walked in silence back to the hotel, reaching it just as the light had almost totally faded from the sky. By that time, Hermione's bad mood had worn off, and she even smiled at Ron when he held their room door open for her.

After they had brushed all the snow off and gotten warm and dry again, the three of them sat down and began planning out the next day. Or rather, Hermione began planning it.

"Right, we need to get our stories straight before tomorrow," Hermione said briskly. The Eother two gave her confused looks, and she sighed.

"Tonks," she said, as if it were obvious, and when their expressions didn't change, she sighed again, this time blowing out the air forcefully enough to move the piece of paper in front of her.

"Remus can't know that she's Nymphadora Tonks, because they fall in love in the future," she explained patiently. "He can know about the rest of us because it doesn't really matter; people will think he's crazy if he says anything anyway. But if he knows that he falls in love with Tonks, it could mess up their relationship in the future."

"But how?" Ron asked. "Why would it matter? Wouldn't it make it better, I mean, if he knows he's supposed to fall in love with her, won't it make it that much easier for him to?"

Tonks snorted quietly under her breath.

"Not necessarily, Ron," Hermione answered, glancing at Tonks and taking on a lecturing tone. "If someone thinks that they _have_ to do something, a lot of times, they try to stop it from happening. It's the whole idea of free will and fate and so on. We don't want Remus to feel forced into falling in love with Tonks because, knowing him, he'll question whether or not his feelings are real or are they just fate, and try to stop them from happening."

"It was hard enough for the bloody idiot to let himself fall for me in the first place," Tonks stated dryly. "I can't imagine how much more he'll fight it if he thinks he's being forced into it. And since I don't want to jeopardize my future happiness, what do you suggest we do, Hermione?"

"Well," Hermione said, relieved, "I was thinking you could pose as my older sister instead of my mother. That way, you can still look younger, so it won't be too weird if you end up under the mistletoe with Remus." Tonks grinned as Hermione continued, "But you definitely won't be Nymphadora Tonks. Well, not to him, anyway, so everything should be fine."

Tonks nodded and pulled out a hand mirror. She began morphing her features until she looked like a slightly older version of Hermione, with blonde streaks in her curly brown hair and green eyes rather than brown.

"I think you can still be called Elizabeth Granger. That way you won't have to remember another name," Hermione said as Tonks continued to make subtle changes to her features, frowning and looking back and forth between Hermione and the mirror in her hand. "And we can use the mirrors to let Harry and Ginny know about it before we arrive tomorrow so they can tell his parents."

"All right, that's fine," she replied a second later. "But I'd rather be called Lizzy, if you don't mind. Elizabeth's a pretty name and all, but it's a bit, well, old. It was fine for your mother, but I think your sister would like something younger. And so would I, as a matter of fact." She looked up and wrinkled her nose, which was now a bit more pert than Hermione's, though it retained the same shape.

"What'd'you think?" Tonks asked, standing and twirling in place so that the others could see her clearly.

"Blimey, Tonks, if I didn't know better, I'd really think you were her sister," Ron said in admiration. Hermione was torn between glaring at him and smiling at him, so she looked at Tonks instead, nodding her approval.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you very much," Tonks said, bowing and curtseying as if she were an actress onstage. "Now, I suppose we'd better talk a bit so that we get our family history right."

Hermione nodded, and launched into a fairly detailed history of her family, dredging up memories of past holidays and crazy relatives. Tonks interrupted her periodically for more details as Ron listened intently, filing away the information in case he needed to remember it later.

***

"Well, it's getting late," Lily said, smiling, a few hours after their guests had left. "And all the good boys and girls are in bed right now, waiting for Father Christmas."

James winked at Harry as Lily helped him to his feet. "Yeah, who knows? Maybe he'll find you and leave your presents, even though you're not supposed to be here."

Ginny laughed. "Should we leave out milk and cookies, then? We wouldn't want to offend him."

James nodded soberly. "Of course! It's very important that we leave cookies out for, erm, Father Christmas, because he especially loves Lily's chocolate cookies."

Lily snorted with laughter under her breath as she got a plate and glass from the kitchen. When everything had been arranged to James' satisfaction, everyone headed up to their respective beds.


	15. Fairy Lights

This time, there was no arguing about whether or not Harry would sleep on the floor. Instead, he slipped under the covers and snuggled up to Ginny, burying his face in her neck.

"Harry, stop it!" she squealed, squirming away from him. "Your nose is freezing!"

"Well, so are your feet," he retorted cheerfully, rubbing his nose against her skin and tightening his arms around her so that she couldn't get away. "They're like ruddy blocks of ice! I've got to get back at you somehow, don't I? Besides, you smell absolutely delicious. Have I ever told you that?"

He couldn't see her blush in the dark, but from the way her skin heated, he figured she must be.

"Thanks," Ginny murmured, and he smiled.

"I'm sorry my nose was cold. Is this better?" Harry asked, brushing the back of her neck with his lips this time.

"Much," she sighed. "You can do that as much as you like."

He smiled again as he trailed his lips down to the curve of her shoulder and then along her jaw line, moving as slowly as possible. Goosebumps skittered across her skin as he grazed it, keeping his touch light.

"Cold?" he whispered, and she turned her head in the dark.

"Not anymore," she whispered back, and gave him a long, languid kiss that seemed to go on for hours and hours. Finally, he pulled away, taking a deep breath to try and clear the fog that had suddenly clouded his mind.

"We should probably try to sleep," he said hoarsely, and Ginny nodded.

"Probably. Big day tomorrow," she agreed, pressing her lips to the hollow of his throat and trailing her fingers across his chest.

"Mmhmm. You're being very distracting," Harry murmured, and felt her smile.

"That was kind of the idea," she breathed, and he chuckled.

"We'll never get to sleep if you keep doing that," he said as her fingers traced lazy patterns across his skin.

"Sleep is over-rated," she replied, and proceeded to distract him for a little while longer before they finally drifted into sleep.

Or rather, Ginny drifted into sleep.

In a few moments, Ginny's breathing had become deep and even, and Harry slipped quietly out of bed. He groped around in the bedside table drawer until he found the hairs he'd cut from her head the night before, grabbed the gift-wrapped Snitch hidden under the bed, and snuck downstairs to the kitchen.

Once there, he plucked out a few of his own hairs and elongated them with a spell, then twisted them with Ginny's and tied them in a knot. He smiled to himself as he placed the hairs in the Snitch. It was much harder than it seemed, since he was wearing gloves to prevent his skin from touching it.

Soon, he was finished, and the Snitch was closed and secure in its box. He placed it carefully under the tree, standing back to admire his handiwork, and smiled. He closed his eyes and imagined Ginny's reaction the next morning, how happy she'd be, and her face when she told him it was perfect, and she loved it, and him.

Just then, he heard a loud creak and whirled, reaching for his wand. Before he got it out of his pocket, however, he recognized his father's feet on the stairs, and relaxed.

"Dad," he called softly, and James jumped.

"Blimey, Harry! Don't _do_ that!" James squeaked, and Harry coughed to hide the laugh that tried to escape.

"Sorry, Dad. Didn't mean to scare you," he replied, grinning, as James came into the kitchen, clearing his throat.

"Scare me? Who said anything about me being scared? I was just a little…erm, surprised, that's all. I didn't expect anyone else to be down here," James said, and Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Right, Dad. So, why are _you_ down here?" Harry asked as James pulled a tiny box out of his pocket and set it on the kitchen table.

"I'm putting your mother's present under the tree. Have to be sneaky, you know. She still doesn't know I bought it the other day." James grinned, obviously pleased with himself, as he warmed some milk. "And I wanted hot chocolate. Nothing like hot chocolate on Christmas Eve, especially after midnight. Want some?"

Harry nodded as his father took out two mugs and the chocolate syrup.

"So, Harry, why are you awake at this hour?" James asked as he stirred the chocolate into the hot milk, turning it a rich, creamy brown. He finished it off with a dollop of whipped cream, and set the mug in front of Harry, who took a small sip before answering.

"This is good!" he said, a little surprised.

"Of course it's good! I made it, didn't I?" James replied in a hurt tone, though he winked at Harry to show he didn't mean it. "I make a damn good hot chocolate, if I do say so myself. Now, answer the question!"

Harry smiled. "I was putting Ginny's present under the tree," he admitted. "I wanted to surprise her tomorrow; I don't think she knows I got her anything. I hope she likes it."

"If it's from you, she'll like it, trust me," James reassured him. "The girl's mad about you, obviously.

"Yeah," Harry sighed, "I'm mad about her, too." He grinned hugely at his father. "She told me she loved me, last night. Loved me!"

James grinned back and clapped him on the shoulder. "That's fantastic, Harry! I told you she wouldn't let a little thing like a war keep the two of you apart! She's a keeper, that one."

Suddenly his smile turned to a worried frown. "Erm…Harry, you're seventeen now, right?"

Harry nodded, mystified at his father's sudden change in manner.

"Erm…so, you know about…well, the birds and the bees and… stuff, right? I don't have to explain anything to you, do I? Like, to be…careful and…whatnot?"

Harry's forehead wrinkled in puzzlement as he tried to figure out what his father was trying to say. It was obviously a talk that James felt obligated to have, and just as obviously one that he was hoping Harry had already heard.

"The birds and the bees? What do you mean, Dad?" he asked, wracking his brain to think of anything he'd heard of magical birds and bees. Maybe his father was about to tell him something about the Golden Snidget, which was a bird, but also sort of like a bee…

James was looking more and more uncomfortable by the minute, avoiding Harry's eyes and stumbling over his words. "Erm…you know…erm…what happens when – when two people love each other very much…and…and how babies are made and…stuff," he finished lamely as Harry's eyes widened in comprehension.

"Oh!" Harry choked, speechless for a moment, and suddenly just as uncomfortable as his father. "Erm…I think I know everything I need to, Dad, thanks. There was a class in second year that explained…well, everything. So, you don't have to worry about me. I'll be careful." His face grew warm as he thought about how hard it had been to stop before things got too far earlier…

"Oh, good!" James exclaimed, relief written all over his features. "Of course, you know, if you ever have any questions, or anything you want to talk about, I want you to feel free to come to me, all right?"

"Yeah, all right," Harry told him. "Not that anything like that's really happened between us. Not that I don't want it to," he continued, "but I just think we need to wait, especially with the war. I'd like to be able to be with Ginny without worrying that I might be dead the next day. I just…I couldn't live with myself if something like that happened. Or worse, if I, you know, did something and – and got her pregnant and then got myself killed."

James nodded thoughtfully. "I understand where you're coming from. It's a risk, certainly, and it's good you're thinking about it - most blokes in your position wouldn't worry about it at all. But remember what I told you before, and don't let this war keep you from living. Not that you should run upstairs and go at it like rabbits," he added hurriedly. "I think you're doing things right. Just…don't keep planning your life around the war. I mean, look at your mother and me; we didn't let the war stop us from being together, or from having you. That's what I meant, anyway."

Harry smiled. "I think I get what you mean, Dad. Don't do anything rash, but don't stop living either."

James smiled back at him. "That's right. That's exactly what I mean." He took one last swig of his chocolate and put his mug in the sink. "And I do believe it's my bedtime. Hot chocolate always makes me warm and happy, which makes me sleepy." He yawned hugely to prove his point, and walked around the table towards the stairs, pausing beside Harry.

"Good night, son," he said quietly, giving Harry's shoulder a squeeze. Harry reached up and clasped his father's hand in return.

"Sleep well, Dad," Harry replied.

A few hours later, Harry jerked suddenly and completely awake. Something was wrong. He wasn't sure what had awakened him, but he lay there quietly, listening to the house breathe as his eyes roamed around the room. Nothing seemed to be different. His coat and shoes were still dropped carelessly in the corner of the room, while Ginny's coat was hung neatly on a chair beside the dresser.

Ginny…Ginny wasn't beside him. He bolted upright, looking swiftly around to see if she was somewhere else in the room, and he'd simply overlooked her. But she wasn't there.

He slipped out of bed and padded quietly to the bathroom door, which was slightly ajar, and knocked on it.

"Ginny? You in there?" he whispered, but there was no answer. He knocked again. "Ginny!" But he still didn't get a response.

"Ginny, I'm opening the door," he said, and pushed the door open slowly, just in case she was in there, and simply hadn't heard him knock. But as the door swung open, he could see the bathroom was empty. He stood in the doorway for a moment, fingers white-knuckled on the doorknob.

"Don't panic, don't panic, she probably just went downstairs for a hot chocolate or something," he told himself as he grabbed his wand and moved towards the door to their room. He tried to convince himself that his worry was stupid, pointless, even, but a part of him, the part that warned him when Voldemort was near, the part that told him when his friends were in danger, was screaming at him.

He raised his hand to his forehead as he slipped through the door, but felt no pain. Voldemort wasn't nearby, then. Or was he? He hadn't been attacked yet, in this time, so perhaps the warning his scar usually gave him wouldn't come. But he, himself, had been attacked in the future, so perhaps it would. Or maybe it wouldn't. Or…

He gave up thinking about it when his head started throbbing with the effort, and concentrated on getting downstairs as quickly and quietly as possible.

He moved without a lighted wand, so the dim figures downstairs didn't turn when he entered the sitting room. He saw Ginny's form hovering near one of the windows, tension evident in every line of her body. His mother stood next to her, clutching a shapeless bundle so fiercely that he was sure it was his younger self.

"What's going on? Can you see anything?" he heard Lily whisper to Ginny, who shook her head.

"I can't see much – just a bunch of moving lights," Ginny whispered back. "It's like they're trying to find the house by searching where it's not. But even then, they shouldn't be able to find it anyway, right? I mean, don't they need the Secret Keeper for that?"

"As far as I know. We should be safe." responded Lily. "But it still means that someone's betrayed us, or was made to betray us, otherwise the Death Eaters wouldn't even know our general location. I think Dumbledore's spreading a rumor that we're in Wales somewhere."

"Maybe they're just checking every Wizarding village in Britain, just to be sure. We don't _know_ that you've been betrayed," Ginny said, though her voice didn't sound as convincing as her words.

Harry chose that moment to reveal himself. "Mum? Ginny? What's going on?" he whispered, and both women jumped and whirled.

"Harry!" Ginny breathed, though she didn't relax much when she realized it was him. "There's someone out there!"

"Death Eaters?" he asked, moving to her side.

"We're not sure, but I think so," she said, looking over his shoulder. "All we can really see are lights, but they're moving as if they're searching for something, and every now and again, the lights flash, as if they're casting spells."

"How did you find out what was happening?" he asked.

"Harry woke up and wanted his bottle, so I brought him downstairs," his mother answered. "I didn't turn on a light because the moon was coming in through the window, and I didn't want Harry to fuss any more than he already was. Then, I saw the lights flashing outside."

"I woke up to go to the bathroom, and saw the lights, too," said Ginny. "So I grabbed my wand and came downstairs. Your mother was already here."

"Someone should wake Dad," Harry said.

"No need," whispered James' voice from the stairs. "I'm here. What's happening? You never came back, Lily."

They quickly told him what was going on, and he joined them briefly at the window before going to check all the others.

"They're all around the house," he said grimly, "But they're not acting like they know it's here. It's like they're just searching blindly, but I don't think they'll find us. They can't, not without a Secret Keeper, and even if they knew a house was here, they'd just keep going around it in circles without ever realizing where it was."

"Right, but the fact that they're searching _here_ probably means that someone betrayed you," Harry said quietly.

"I know," James growled. "I just wish I knew who."

He moved to Lily's side and wrapped his arms around her and the baby protectively. "I just feel so bloody _helpless_," he spat, and Harry felt an answering swell of anger at Voldemort and his followers for intruding in his life yet again. "I mean, even if they can't find us, we're still not really safe. Or it doesn't feel like we are, anyway," James continued. "We'll have to increase the security charms on the house tomorrow, especially since Sirius and Remus are supposed to come for Christmas dinner. And your friends too, Harry. And we'll all have to be especially careful."

"You'd think even the Death Eaters'd take a break for Christmas," Harry said bitterly.

"Evil never sleeps," Lily replied softly, looking out the window at the flashing lights. They looked so innocent, like fireflies, or the fairy lights used to decorate the Christmas trees in the Great Hall at Hogwarts. But beneath their softly glowing facades lurked a menace that was all the more deadly for its appearance of innocence.


	16. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

11

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

The next morning, Harry woke with a start as he was yanked out of bed by his ankle. He yelled and twisted in the air, flailing wildly as he tried to get to his wand. The Death Eaters! They must have found them…and then he heard his father's laughter.

"Happy Christmas, Harry, Ginny! Upsie daisy!" James' voice yelled happily. Harry blinked and relaxed, grinning. He should've known his father would pull something like this. After all, it was the only Christmas they'd have together, so he'd probably want it to be memorable, even if there _had_ been Death Eaters searching around the house last night.

"_Libracorpus_," Harry heard Ginny say, giggling, and he dropped back onto the bed, narrowly avoiding her legs.

"Oi! How'd you know the countercurse?" James demanded, sounding a bit put out.

"Harry's used that spell on my brother enough times that I paid attention when he let him down, just in case he ever decided to try it with me," she said as she climbed out of bed. "I don't fancy hanging in the air with my skirt around my ears, thanks."

Harry grinned at the thought, and she pretended to glare at him. "Don't even think about it!"

"Hey, you put that image in my head! I'm perfectly innocent!" he protested, attempting to wipe the grin off of his face, though he didn't manage it very well.

She snorted and followed James out of the room, wrapping a spare robe around herself. Harry tumbled out of bed after them, tripped by the sheets around his ankles.

"Ow," he yelped, and heard Ginny's laughter drift up the stairs. "It's amazing, the things my girlfriend finds funny," he grumbled to himself, though he smiled as he said it. He couldn't seem to stop smiling this morning. And what was wrong with that? It was Christmas, after all!

He managed to untangle himself from the sheets and made it down the stairs without further incident to be greeted by Ginny and his parents in the sitting room. Lily and James were seated next to each other on the sofa, while Ginny played with the baby on the floor by the tree. He kept grabbing at the ornaments, but since he couldn't stand yet, they were just out of reach. He was determined though, and didn't stop trying until Ginny finally pulled a red plastic ball from the tree and handed it to him.

"Harry, why don't you play Father Christmas and hand out the gifts?" Lily asked from the sofa.

"Yeah, since you're up already," James added, and Lily rolled her eyes.

"That wasn't why I asked him," she fussed, but Harry just chuckled and began handing out packages. Soon, everyone had presents in front of them, though the baby's pile was the biggest of all. Lily and James helped their tiny son open his new toys, but he was more interested in the boxes they came in. Ginny tried to interest him in a stuffed elephant, but he ignored it in favor of a piece of shiny wrapping paper, which he kept trying to stuff in his mouth.

"Try not to let me choke, Ginny," Harry told her as he grabbed the paper away from himself. "I'd like to live to the age I am now, if that's all right with you." He grinned at her as she picked up little Harry and bounced him in her arms.

"Shush, you," she retorted, sticking her tongue out at him, and then making faces at the baby while his parents tore into their own presents, watching each other out of the corners of their eyes.

"Oh, James, it's lovely," Lily breathed, dangling the locket in front of her, its delicate chain dripping through her fingers.

"Here, let me put it on you," James said hastily, reaching around to clasp it around her neck. "I know it's a little clichéd, a lily for my Lily, but you said you liked it in the store, and it's really pretty, and it reminded me of you because it's really pretty, and…"

"I love it," she said firmly, and kissed him solidly on the mouth, effectively shutting him up for a few minutes.

"You didn't have to get me anything, Ginny," Harry said as he unwrapped the little box she'd handed to him.

"I know," she said hesitantly as she set his younger self on the floor, well away from the discarded wrapping paper. He finally became interested in the stuffed elephant he had ignored before, and started chewing one of its ears. "I just…I picked it up the day before I joined you and my brother and Hermione. That's why it's here and not back at the Burrow – it was still in my pocket."

It was a glass ball the size of a large marble, filled with whitish smoke. As he rolled it in his palm, the smoke began to change color, until it became a rich, grassy green.

"What is it?" he asked, and Ginny smiled.

"It's a type of Rememberall, actually," she said. "You know how, in the usual ones, the smoke turns red if you've forgotten something?"

He nodded. "Yeah, like the one Neville has."

"Right," she said. "Well, this one is kind of like that, but a little different. It's actually keyed to me, not you, and the smoke turns green when I'm remembering you. Or just thinking of you, but it's kind of the same thing. So, you'll know when I'm thinking of you." She hesitated a moment before continuing. "I thought maybe it'd show you how important you are to me. And…and I'd hoped it would convince you that we should be together, despite the dangers."

He smiled and leaned close to her. "You convinced me of that all by yourself," he whispered before kissing her. "But it's nice to know that you think of me _almost_ as much as I think of you." He grinned cheekily at that last, ducking away as she swiped playfully at him and stuck out her tongue.

"Seriously though, I love it. I'll carry it everywhere I go," he said, and she squeezed his hand briefly. Then she picked up his gift to her, and started to open it.

He was suddenly nervous. What if she didn't like it? Or worse, didn't want it? He had the sudden urge to snatch the box from her before she could finish unwrapping it so that she couldn't hate it. But she'd pulled it out in a moment, and was turning it over in her hands.

"It's beautiful, Harry," she said softly, her fingers tracing the whirls in the pattern twining around the Snitch. It opened a moment later, revealing the knot of their hair that Harry had placed in it the night before.

"It…it was called The Lover's Snitch in the store, but that wasn't why I picked it. I just thought you'd like it because it's beautiful without being too fancy – we could still play with it, if we wanted, though you probably won't want to, since it's just got a design around it instead of something added to it. And you can put anything you want in there, really, I just thought…well, people used to exchange locks of hair all the time, and we've finally decided to be together and I thought it would be…romantic," he finished, his voice trailing off at the last word, when his eyes finally met hers, which were shining.

"I think I know what you meant, Harry," she said, reaching a hand out to stroke his face. He raised his hand to cover hers.

"Yeah," he said simply, and smiled.

Their little reverie was interrupted a moment later with James' exuberant shout. "A Nimbus 1700! I've been dying for one of these, Harry! Look, Lily, look at all the features…"

She nodded as he began expounding on the many fine qualities of the broom, giving Harry a rueful glance right before her eyes glazed over. He shrugged, miming helplessness.

"Thanks again for the broom, Harry. Though you really shouldn't have, it's really expensive," James began, but Harry cut him off.

"The money's not important," Harry said. "Let's play some Quidditch later, you said you haven't been able to in a while. Ginny's good, and so's Ron, so maybe we can get Remus and Sirius and Tonks to play a game when they all get here."

"But what about the Death Eaters?" James asked, and Harry gave him a look.

"The war shouldn't stop you from doing the things you love," Harry said quietly. "You shouldn't give up the things you love because things are uncertain or dangerous. Besides, you never know when you'll get a chance to play again." His smile turned sad. "And it'll be the only time I can play with you."

James smiled back at him, equally sad, and nodded. "This afternoon, then," he said quietly, picking up the baby and holding him tightly. There was a moment of silence as they each contemplated the future that would be taken from them, but it was soon broken by little Harry's complaints at being parted from his beloved elephant.

"All right, all right, here you go!" James exclaimed, picking up the toy and giving it to him as Lily opened her present from Harry.

"I love your gift, Harry, thank you! It's lovely," she said, beaming at him as brightly as she could as she unwrapped the photo album he'd given her. She flipped through the empty pages as Harry said, "That's why I wanted the camera yesterday – I want to fill it with pictures of my time here."

She raised her eyes to meet his, and suddenly, they brimmed over. "Thank you, son," she whispered, and leaned over to hug him fiercely, the album clutched to her chest. "We'll treasure it." His father nodded in agreement, his own eyes moist, but he held his emotions in check as Harry held his mother.

"I'm so glad I got this time with you," Harry said quietly. "This is the best Christmas gift I could ever have received. And soon, everyone I care about will be here. Both of you, Ginny, Ron and Hermione, and Sirius and Remus. My family." He smiled, and reached for Ginny. "I only wish your mum and dad could be here, too," he told her. "Mrs. Weasley's probably the closest thing I have to a mum. I even get a Weasley sweater every year!"

Lily smiled at that, and James hooted with laughter.

"Molly and her knitting," he chuckled. "She was knitting scarves and socks for Arthur when they were thirteen! I felt a bit sorry for him, really."

Lily rolled her eyes at him. "I think it's lovely," she said, a bit hotly. "Have you ever tried to knit? It's bloody hard! You're always dropping stitches and missing loops and the needles slip out and it's really amazing she knits as much as she does! So don't laugh!"

"Oh, come now darling, I was only joking! I think it's lovely, too!" James protested, before whispering to Harry, "Though I'm a bit glad she hasn't knitted me anything yet."

Ginny overheard, and giggled. "No hard feelings. You have to be a Weasley to truly appreciate Mum's sweaters. They're not very pretty, true, and poor Ron always gets a maroon one, but they're warm and soft, and we all secretly love them. And she gets a little better every year. The one I got last year was quite respectable. I even wear it out in public sometimes."

They all laughed again, and began talking of other Christmases as they moved into the kitchen for breakfast, though Harry and Ginny were careful not to reveal anything too important. It wasn't too difficult, though Harry suspected that his parents still knew that his Christmases weren't always happy. But this one would be, especially once everyone arrived for dinner that evening.

After breakfast, Hermione called Ginny on the enchanted mirrors.

"Ginny! Ginny!" her voice called from Ginny's pocket. "Ginny, I need to talk to you and Harry! It's important!"

"All right, all right! Keep your knickers on," Ginny grumbled, pulling the mirror out of her pocket and talking to it. "What's so important?"

"Ginny? Oh, good, finally! I was beginning to think you'd never answer," Hermione said, and Ginny snorted.

"Hermione, it was only a couple of seconds. Now, again, what's so important? You'll be coming over soon anyway. Why couldn't you just tell me whatever it is then?"

"Because Tonks will be in disguise as my older sister, Elizabeth, and you've got to warn the Potters," Hermione replied. Ginny was rendered silent for a moment, and Harry jumped in.

"In disguise? Why? They've already met her – they know who she is!" he said indignantly, and Hermione sighed.

"I know that, Harry, but Remus and Sirius haven't. Well, not in this time, anyway, but we're worried that Remus'll try to talk himself out of being with her in our time if he meets her in this one because he might think he has to or something," she explained.

"He's a stubborn bastard, my Remus," they heard Tonks shout, and Hermione agreed. "Right, he might think that he has no choice in the matter or something, and we don't want to jeopardize that. So, we thought it'd be best if she disguised herself as my sister when she meets him and Sirius, so that they don't recognize her in the future. Can you explain all of that to James and Lily?"

"Hermione, really, do we have to?" Harry asked. "I mean, we only just got them to really trust us, and there were Death Eaters around the house last night – "

"Death Eaters? In Godric's Hollow? Did they find you?" she asked, horrified.

"Actually, we're talking to you in a Death Eater dungeon in Voldemort's secret hideout," Ginny added. "We've only got a minute, so could you be quick?"

Harry chuckled as Hermione began to sputter, and then cut her off.

"We're all fine – no one found us or the house. We think that they think Mum and Dad are in the area, but they're not sure where. So, we're fine, but it made us all a little edgy last night, and we don't really need the extra stress."

"I know, none of us does," Hermione sighed. "But I'm afraid it's really necessary. And obviously, future Remus doesn't remember meeting Tonks in this time, which means it doesn't happen, so she either has to stay at the hotel, which isn't a good idea, or come in disguise."

Harry was silent for a minute, but then huffed out a breath in defeat. She was right; they couldn't afford to take chances. And Remus probably _shouldn't _meet his future wife early, so a disguise was the only choice they had. He wasn't happy about it, though, something that he made perfectly clear to Hermione before finally agreeing to it.

After Hermione's call, he and Ginny went downstairs to broach the subject with his parents.

"Oh, erm, Mum, Dad?" Harry began, a little hesitantly. "Tonks is going to look a little different when she gets here. She knows Remus and Sirius in the future, you see, and she thinks it's best if she's not herself when she meets them."

"Oh, well, all right, I suppose," James said slowly. "Though I don't really like lying to my best friends. Do we have to call her something else, too?"

"Erm, well, Hermione said she's disguising herself as her older sister, Elizabeth Granger, so that's what we'll need to call her. You're sure you don't mind?"

James shrugged. "Not if you say it's important. We trust you now, so it's all right. Like I said, I don't like it much, but we'll do it." Lily nodded her assent as he spoke, and then asked, "When will they be here?"

"Whenever you want them to be – I told Hermione we'd let them know as soon as you told us when you wanted them here. When will Sirius and Remus be getting here? They can come when they do," Ginny said.

"They should be here in about half an hour, so why don't you go ahead and invite your friends over now? That way we'll have a bit of time to get used to Tonks as Elizabeth," said Lily, and Harry hurried upstairs to tell the others.

Shortly afterwards, Ron, Hermione, and a very different-looking Tonks appeared at the cottage door, and were admitted after the requisite security questions.

"It's bloody _freezing_," Ron complained the moment the door was opened, stamping snow from his boots. "And it's snowing like mad again, so it'll be loads of fun going home tonight."

"Oh, Ron, do stop fussing," Hermione said as she shook snow from her hair. "It's lovely!"

"Yeah, we'll have a white Christmas," Tonks said, unwinding her scarf. "Not that it wasn't white before, but this is a nice, new white instead of a dirty, wet white."

"And we can have a rematch!" James chimed in, slamming his fist into his palm. "Let the bloodshed begin!"

Ron snorted. "Riiiiiiiight, because we didn't beat you badly enough the first time."

"Hey, we were ambushed!" James protested as Lily bustled into the room with her son on her hip.

"That's enough bragging and strutting for now, thank you," she said briskly as she shooed everyone into the sitting room.. "Sirius and Remus should be here in a few minutes."

"What about Peter?" Ginny asked, and Harry's head snapped up.

"Peter usually spends Christmas with his folks. He's the only one that has them, really. Well, Sirius does, but they don't count," James said, scowling as he finished. "And Remus…well, his father never forgave himself for what happened to Remus when he was a kid, and when Remus' werewolf records became public after he turned seventeen, it became too much for him."

Everyone's faces wore various expressions of stunned shock.

"You…you mean, he…he killed himself?" Harry stuttered, and James shook his head.

"Well, not exactly, no. He just…kind of gave into despair, I suppose. He stopped eating and started sleeping all the time – wasted away to nothing. And then one day he got sick, and that was it. So, Remus doesn't really have anyone."

"What are you going to tell Remus and Sirius about us?" Hermione asked, her forehead wrinkling with worry. "I mean, it probably won't be a good idea to tell them who we really are. Remus could probably keep a secret, but I don't know about Sirius."

"Oh, don't worry about Sirius," James laughed. "He'll probably be pissed when he gets here, so he'll think he dreamed everything. And you're right - Remus can keep a secret. Who'd believe him anyway?"

Hermione's frown smoothed into a smile, and Ron threw an arm around her shoulder.

"See, I told you we'd figure something out," he said confidently.

"Yes, but James figured it out, not you," she said, and laughed when he opened his mouth to protest. "I'm sure you would've come up with something if he hadn't," she soothed, and Ron nodded.

"Course I would've."

"Anyway, they should be along in a minute," James continued. A moment later, they heard loud, off-key singing echoing down the chimney.

"That would be Sirius," James said, grinning, and Lily groaned, handing their son to him.

"And from the sound of him, he's at least half-pissed," she said as Sirius appeared in the fireplace.

"Heeeeeeeeello, everyone!" Sirius shouted merrily as soon as he saw them. His arms were full of packages, and he swayed slightly on his feet. "Thought I'd start the celebration early…maybe too early." He frowned. "I'm already seeing two of you, James. I didn't think I'd had _that_ much Firewhiskey."

Everyone laughed as he pulled a half-empty bottle out of his pocket and held it up, squinting to check the amount in it. "Hmm…maybe I can't hold it as well as I thought I could."

Sirius shrugged and looked up as Lily took the bottle away from him, smiling. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea, Lily. After all, I'd at least like to last until midnight." He suddenly smiled brightly again, and threw an arm around her. "How's my honorary sister-in-law? And my godson?"

"We're doing fine, Sirius," she said breathlessly as he squeezed her. "Um…not so tight, please?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry 'bout that. " He let her go abruptly. "There you go, James, you can have her back now. Now, give me my godson! I want to tell him hello."

James and Lily glanced at each other as Sirius reached for the baby in James' arms. "Well," Lily began. "He's actually standing in front of you."

Sirius blinked rapidly and dropped his arms as Harry stepped forward and held out his hand. "Er…Harry Potter. It's nice to see you again, Sirius. Not that you've seen me before. Well, you have, but not me, exactly…" His voice trailed off as Sirius stared at him, ignoring his outstretched hand.

"I…I don't understand…have I really had that much Firewhiskey? I mean, little Harry's right there! I played with him last time I was here!" Sirius said plaintively. "Or did I sleep for twenty years? Those are the only two explanations I can come up with."

Hermione stepped forward. "Actually, neither one of those is right. Though you probably have had too much Firewhiskey," she added, raising an eyebrow in disapproval. "The baby that James is holding_ is_ your godson, Harry, but this young man is also your godson Harry, and we are his friends. We're from the future - 1997, to be precise. Harry and Ginny here fell through a time portal, and we followed to make sure nothing happened to them. It's quite simple, really."

Sirius blinked again. "And, who are you?"

She smiled. "Hermione Granger, and this is Ron Weasley, his sister Ginny, and Elizabeth Granger, my older sister. Though she prefers to go by Lizzy," she added hastily as Tonks scowled at her. "Ron and Ginny are Arthur and Molly Weasley's children – "

"Wait, don't tell me that's little Ron!" Sirius broke in. "He's not even a year old! Or less…I can't remember -- it's been so long since I've seen them. I should stop by this Christmas…the Weasleys are the best family I know, well, except for yours, of course, James." He frowned. "They don't have a girl yet, do they? Or is Molly trying to keep it a secret?"

James threw an arm around Sirius' shoulders and steered him towards an overstuffed chair. "Here, Sirius, why don't we all sit down and explain things to you…"

After an explanation that took nearly an hour, Sirius finally seemed to realize what was going on. Halfway through it, Lily handed the baby to his godfather, who bounced him absently on his knee as he listened to the others.

"So, let me get this straight; you accidentally came here from the future and the rest of you came to get them, but you can't leave until New Year's Eve?" Sirius asked, the confusion finally starting to clear from his face.

"In a nutshell, yes," Hermione said.

Soon afterwards, Remus whooshed down the chimney, and the whole story had to be told again, this time with interjections from Sirius. Luckily, Remus wasn't intoxicated, so he understood things a bit quicker than his friend.

"Now, remember, you _can't_ tell anyone else about us, ever," Hermione admonished them when everyone finally knew everything. Remus nodded solemnly, and Sirius snorted. "Who'd believe us? Anyone we told this story to would send us to St. Mungo's for insanity!"


	17. Blame it on the Mistletoe

9

Chapter 17: Blame it on the Mistletoe

Since everyone had arrived a bit early, dinner wasn't quite ready. The next few minutes passed in a blur of activity as the Potters took care of all the little chores that no one had thought about until the guests arrived.

"Everything will be ready in a few minutes – I promise," Lily said as she rushed into the kitchen. "James, can you set out the dip and nibbles so that no one will starve?"

"Of course, dear," he said, rolling his eyes and winking over his shoulder at everyone else.

Delicious smells floated through the house as Lily finished cooking, and Harry was hard-pressed to keep himself out of the kitchen, though the nibbles Lily had made helped slightly. James, however, didn't even try.

"James Charlus Potter, how many times do I have to tell you to _stay out_ of the kitchen until I'm finished? You're only getting in the way now!" Lily shrieked, chasing James out for what seemed like the tenth time. She stopped at the threshold, waving a spoon menacingly at him.

"But Lily, darling, I can't help it!" James whined, trying to edge past her and back into the kitchen. "It's not my fault you're such a fantastic cook! It's more than a man can bear!"

"It really does take heroic effort, Lily," Sirius pointed out, grabbing a roll while she was distracted.

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Lily said, raising her spoon threateningly at both of them. A large glob of gravy dripped off of it and landed on the carpet. Lily turned to the mess on the floor.

"James! Sirius! Look what you made me – " she began, but James used her momentary distraction to catch her around her waist and pin her arms to her sides.

"Ah ha! Victory is mine!" he shouted triumphantly. "You are my prisoner, and must agree to whatever I say," he told her as he peppered her neck and shoulder with kisses.

Lily rolled her eyes, although a smile tugged at the corners of your mouth. "Oh I must, must I? And what do you command, oh master?"

"That you let me taste everything, and give me lots of kisses, even though we haven't hung the mistletoe yet." He turned wide, pitiful eyes on her, and she laughed in spite of herself.

"Oh, all right," she agreed, and he smiled smugly as he bent forward to claim his prizes.

"Nice one, James," Sirius tossed over his shoulder as he darted into the kitchen while they were distracted.

This might have gone on for a while, but James and Lily were interrupted by the sound of a throat clearing.

"Oh! Erm, hello, Ginny," Lily said breathlessly as she broke away from James. "Do you need anything?" 

"A glass of water, if you don't mind. It's a little warm in here, don't you think?" Ginny said archly, grinning at them.

"You do look a little flushed, dear," James said to Lily, pretending to be concerned. "Maybe you should lie down upstairs for a bit. With me."

Lily laughed and propelled him back into the sitting room as Ginny slipped into the kitchen for her water. "Out! It's almost ready! Ginny, would you mind helping me set the table?"

Ginny grinned and nodded. Hermione appeared and was conscripted moments later, and soon Lily was calling everyone to dinner. After the usual fumbling for seats, James stood and banged his carving knife and fork at them.

"Oi! Pipe down you lot, I'm about to carve this bloody bird! And I'd appreciate it if you'd all give the occasion the solemnity it deserves!" There was dead silence for about a minute until Ginny let out a snort of laughter. It was like a signal to everyone else, and soon they were all practically rolling around the table while James ignored them, painstakingly slicing the turkey.

It was a scene of fairly organized chaos after that as everyone reached over everyone else and plates were handed up and down the table. James reminisced with Sirius and Remus about Hogwarts Christmases past and the pranks they'd pulled on the professors.

"Remember that time we enchanted a piece of mistletoe to float over Professor McGonagall's head? Took her all day to figure out why people kept avoiding her!" Sirius said with a grin.

"Except for Derek Jones," Remus added. "He had the biggest crush on her – actually tried to kiss her!"

"Yeah, and she gave him such a scolding! Then she set the mistletoe on fire and banned it from the castle. Best Christmas prank _ever_!" Sirius chortled.

"But what about that time we charmed the turkey to dance a jig just before Professor Dumbledore started slicing it? Priceless!" James laughed.

Lily rolled her eyes in their direction as she turned to talk to the other girls. Harry and Ron listened to the Marauders with frank admiration, though they chimed in with their own stories every now and again.

Dinner continued like that until the food disappeared and people started pushing away from the table, rubbing their bellies satisfactorily.

"Fantastic meal, Lily, really," James said, kissing his wife on the cheek. She smiled, her cheeks heating up, as the others added their praise.

"Thanks, I'm glad you all liked everything so much. But you know how you can really show your appreciation, James?" she asked, batting her eyelashes.

James grinned as if he knew the answer and took her hand. "What, my darling Lily? Would it involve a fun, physical activity later?"

She smiled flirtatiously at him before withdrawing her hand and replacing it with an empty plate. "Certainly, if you consider cleaning up a fun, physical activity, though I personally rather dislike it. I've got to go tend to the baby."

Sirius hooted with laughter and clapped James on the back as his face fell.

"She's got you there, mate! Do your duty like a man!"

James sighed and started collecting plates, though the actual cleaning up didn't take long once everyone pitched in.

Lily came downstairs with the baby shortly after the dishes had been finished and everyone was gathering in the sitting room.

"Sorry that took so long," she apologized cheerfully. "Somebody had a bit of an accident, and had to take a bath all over again."

"Made a mess, did you, Harry?" James said, raising his eyebrows at the baby, who laughed and waved his arms at his father.

The older Harry's face turned bright red as James laughed back and took little Harry from his mother to bounce him up and down. He was glad of the distraction when Ginny pulled him into the kitchen to help her prepare tea for everyone.

"You know, it's wicked awesome to see my parents with me as a baby, but it's bloody awkward sometimes, too," he complained, tugging at his hair. Ginny smiled as she filled the kettle with water.

"I'd expect it would be," she replied calmly, wrapping an arm around his waist. "I mean, it's bad enough when Mum gets out my baby pictures and shows them to everyone – I can just imagine how bad it'd be if my baby self was physically in the room. At least there aren't any pictures of me spitting up on anyone!"

Harry grinned and squeezed her hand briefly before starting to dig in the cupboard for cups.

"Oy! Look what I just found!" Ginny turned just as he picked a large sprig of mistletoe off of the counter. "Didn't Dad say that they hadn't hung it yet? They must've forgotten."

He grinned and held it above his head. "Look, Ginny, I'm under the mistletoe. Guess you have to kiss me."

She sighed in pretend annoyance as she walked over to him. "Well, I guess I have to, since it's tradition and all," she said as she raised her face to his. They only got to kiss for a moment before the kettle started whistling, however.

"Where should we hang this?" Harry asked Ginny as they gathered up the tea things. She was thoughtful for a moment.

"Not the coat closet – pointless there. Maybe one in the kitchen somewhere…" She grinned as an idea struck her. "I'll be if we put it above the entrance to the kitchen Ron'll end up under it with Hermoine. That would be fantastic!"

Harry felt an answering grin spread across his face. "Perfect! And maybe above the stairs? People are always running into each other there." Ginny nodded in agreement.

"Right, then, I'll help you get all this out in the sitting room, and then I'll see about hanging it. We'll see how many people we can catch," he said.

Once they'd brought everything out, Harry snuck back in the kitchen and broke a piece off the sprig mistletoe.

"Hm…" he mused, thinking out loud. "Have to do this by magic, or everyone'll hear…Wingardium Leviosa!" As he swished and flicked his wand, the mistletoe floated to the doorway between the kitchen and the sitting room. He'd just cast a Sticking Charm when Ginny poked her head through the door.

"Hey! You done yet?" she whispered. "You've been gone a while."

He grinned as he stuck his wand back in his pocket. "All done," he announced as he took a step forward. "And now," he continued, tilting her chin so that she had to look up, "We're under the mistletoe again."

Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she raised her face to his. "Why, so we are, Mr. Potter," she murmured. "But that doesn't mean it has to be easy."

Fast as lightning, she moved her lips to his cheek before darting back into the sitting room. He stood there blinking, then shook his head slowly and followed her. As he left the doorway to enter the sitting room proper, Ron passed him, followed closely by Hermione.

"Hermione, all I want is a glass of pumpkin juice. I promise, I won't go raiding the Potter's kitchen! What do you take me for? It's not like it's Hogwarts!" he snapped as he grabbed a glass and filled it from the pitcher that was sitting out. "You never believe me."

"Well, what do you expect, Ron?" Hermione shot back, stopping in the doorway with her hands on her hips. "It's not like you've really given me any reason to!" Ron rolled his eyes and nudged her aside to leave the kitchen.

Harry chose that moment to clear his throat, and they both turned to look at him, expressions stormy. He grinned at them and simply said, "Look up."

They complied, though it took them a moment to realize what was hanging above their heads. Hermione's hands flew to her mouth, and she automatically jumped back as Ron's jaw dropped. Before she could retreat further, however, he shook off his confusion and stepped forward.

"It's tradition, Hermoine," he said quietly, wrapping her in his arms. "Besides, Harry knows we're under it. We'd have to hear about it all evening otherwise."

Hermione smiled, the frozen look leaving her face. "Well, we can't have that, can we?" she murmured as he lowered his face to hers.

Harry smiled as he crept away to give his best friends some privacy. He had no doubt that they'd make up for lost time.

He smiled conspiratorially with Ginny as he strode across the room to sit next to her on the sofa.

"Mischief managed," he whispered in her ear, and she giggled. "And about time, too," she whispered back. "They've been dancing around each other for AGES."

Harry jumped a little as his mother sat down next to him. "What're you two whispering about over here?" She smiled slightly. "People might think you're up to something."

Ginny grinned cheekily back at her. "That's because we _are _up to something. We'll tell, but only if you promise to help!"

Lily looked around first, then leaned forward. "All right. What are you doing?"

Ginny proceeded to explain the plan to hang the mistletoe around the house, and the smile grew until it had spread across Lily's face. "Brilliant! Where else were you thinking of hanging it?"

"We'd thought above the stairs, since people will be going up and down them all night," Ginny answered.

Lily nodded gleefully. "That'll be perfect! Do you need help?"

Harry and Ginny exchanged a glance. "Well, it'll probably be less suspicious if_ you_ do it, Lily," Ginny said.

"Yeah, they're less likely to suspect you," Harry added.

Lily chuckled quietly. "Well, maybe. Remind me to tell you more about the time I stuck James' tongue to the roof of his mouth in our fifth year. No one suspected me then, either."

Harry grinned and handed her a sprig of mistletoe and whispered, "Go for it!"

She looked around furtively before getting up. James was playing with the baby, and Hermione and Ron were nowhere to be seen. She smiled when she saw that Sirius and Remus seemed to be engrossed in Tonks as she walked to the stairs to hang it.

"So, Lizzy, is it? Like Lizzy Bennet from _Pride and Prejudice_?" Sirius said to Tonks, who looked surprised.

"You've read _Pride and Prejudice_?" she asked. "I'm amazed! Not only is it a Muggle book – it's a love story! Boys tend to hate those."

He pretended to look affronted and said, "Of course I've read it! It's a classic! Even if it is really girly – it's got a great message."

Remus, who was sitting across from them, snorted derisively. "You've only read it to impress girls," he said dryly. "I, on the other hand, read it so that I'd know who those girls were talking about when they said they wished more guys were like Mr. Darcy."

"And that's better?" Sirius asked.

Remus nodded. "Of course. _I_ read the book out of curiosity. _You_ read it out of selfishness."

"I personally think Mr. Darcy's a little overrated, to be honest," Tonks broke in. "Seems like a bit of a stuffed shirt." She smiled as the two men stared at her. "What?"

"But, isn't Darcy supposed to be the ideal man? Every girl I've known that's read the book just loves him!" Sirius said, floored, as Remus nodded in agreement. Tonks laughed.

"Well, that's because most girls want a white knight to come sweep them away, don't they? Darcy's all right and everything, but I can save myself, thanks. I want someone who'll stand with me, not in front of me," she said. "Besides, Darcy's too perfect. I want a real man, with flaws." Her eyes flitted to Remus briefly.

Sirius looked stunned and sat back, speechless.

"I don't think I've ever heard it put quite like that before," Remus said, looking at her thoughtfully. "Why wouldn't you want someone perfect?"

She shrugged. "There's no such thing as a perfect bloke – the ones that seem to be are always too good to be true. Besides, I'm certainly not perfect, and I don't want someone who's going to make me feel bad about it!"

Remus smiled. "Well that's…refreshing. Were you at Hogwarts, Lizzy? I don't remember you at school, and you're certainly not forgettable."

Tonks smiled ruefully. "Remember, Remus, I'm from the future. I started at Hogwarts in '84, a while after you and Sirius here."

"Yeah, we graduated in '78…I didn't realize you were so young," he said, looking a little disappointed.

"I am young," she said quietly. "But we're probably about the same age now. How old are you – twenty-one? Twenty-two?"

"Twenty," he replied, and she laughed.

"That makes me older than you right now, then. I'm twenty-three," she teased.

"Oooo! An older woman!" This was from Sirius, who had apparently finally recovered from the idea that not all women want to be rescued. He shot her a roguish wink. "Sexy."

She laughed. "You think that now – just wait until I have wrinkles before you!"

Sirius thought about that for a minute, and then shrugged. "A few wrinkles wouldn't bother me. With age comes knowledge, right?" He wagged his eyebrows and Tonks rolled her eyes at him.

"And on that note, I'm off to the loo. Remus, try not to let things degenerate any further while I'm gone, would you?" she asked, and he nodded solemnly and laid a hand over his heart.

"I give you my word that I will do my best to keep Sirius from being as puerile as possible, though with him, my best probably won't do much good."

"Hey!" Sirius yelped. "I'm not that bad!"

Tonks looked straight at him, her eyes sparking mischievously. "Then see how good you can be. Call it a challenge – I don't think you can be a 'good little boy' for more than an hour."

She stood, passing Lily before heading upstairs. Sirius and Remus' eyes followed her, Sirius frowning and Remus looking intrigued. "There's something about her…" Remus murmured. "I don't think I've ever met another girl like her."

Sirius shrugged. "Well, you're welcome to her, mate. She's cute and all, but I like a girl that's a bit more predictable, thanks."

Remus raised his eyebrows. "One you can impress, you mean," he said, and Sirius smirked at him. Remus shook his head and glanced up to see Tonks descending the stairs.

"I've got to go to the loo too – try not to offend her, all right?" Remus demanded, and Sirius shrugged. "Can't guarantee anything, mate, though something tells me she won't offend easily. She reminds me a bit of my little cousin, as a matter of fact."

Remus paused at the bottom of the stairs as Tonks approached, courteously waiting for her to finish descending. When she reached him, she stopped for a moment and smiled at him. They locked eyes for a long moment, and then they heard Lily's voice say, "Lizzy! Remus! Look up."


	18. All I Want for Christmas Is You

9

Chapter 18:

All I want for Christmas Is You

Remus and Tonks looked up at the same time to see the mistletoe hanging above them. Tonks took an involuntary step backwards up the stairs before she realized what it was and grinned down at Remus. He'd turned with a frown at Lily, who merely stuck her tongue out at him.

"Looks like we've got to kiss now, doesn't it?" Tonks said cheerfully as he looked back at her, his cheeks reddening.

"Erm…well, yes, I suppose…" he stammered as she stepped down the stairs to him.

They locked eyes again as their faces moved closer together, and Tonk's smile softened as she saw his uncertainty.

"I understand – you barely know me," she whispered, and he flushed even more.

"It's…it's not that…I'm just a more…private, person, I guess…I'm not really one for public displays," he murmured back.

"Oy you two, we don't have all night! Snog her already, Moony!" Sirius yelled, making Remus turn his head to glare at him. Tonks grinned and reached over to turn his face back to hers. His eyes widened in surprise as she breathed, "If it's a show he wants, then we should give him a show."

He grinned back at her as he bent his head. She threw her arms around his neck as he kissed her soundly on the mouth, bending her back into a dip so that she nearly touched the stairs. Everyone else shouted and clapped as Sirius let out a loud wolf whistle.

Moments later he pulled her out of the dip and broke the kiss. She smiled up at him, eyes sparkling. "I guess we showed him," she said quietly, and he smiled back, though he looked slightly stunned.

"Yeah…yeah, I guess we did," he said, searching her face. Their kiss had unsettled him, and he wasn't accustomed to being unsettled. "Erm, I guess I'll go up to the loo now. It's where I was headed before. Erm…yeah."

She laughed and patted his shoulder as she stepped past him. "Go on then," she said, scooting past him so that he could get to the stairs.

"Thanks," he said, but only took a step before she called back, "Oh, and Remus?"

"Yes?" he asked, turning to see that she'd taken a step towards him.

"It's cute when you blush," she murmured, making his cheeks turn red again.

"Erm…thanks," he said as she turned and walked towards the others, who'd turned away from them as soon as they broke their kiss. He shook his head slightly, as if to clear it, before heading up the stairs to the loo.

Lily watched Remus out of the corner of her eye as Tonks took the seat she'd held earlier.

"Well, well," she said to herself. "That was interesting."

"Wasn't it?" Ginny replied, winking at Harry while his mother was distracted.

"It was," Lily answered, turning abruptly to Harry and Ginny. "And just _how_ does your friend Tonks know Remus in the future? I mean, I know you said she's Sirius' cousin, but what's her relationship with Remus like?"

Harry opened and closed his mouth soundlessly as Ginny started giggling. Finally, he managed to get something out. "Well…erm…they're…well, they're friends," he said lamely.

"Really _good_ friends," Ginny added. "Even though she's so much younger than him."

Lily eyed them suspiciously. "And is that _all_ they are to each other? Or is there something you're not telling me?"

Harry and Ginny looked helplessly at each other for a moment, and then Harry shrugged as if to say, "What can we do?"

"You don't miss a trick, do you?" Ginny said ruefully. She stood and grabbed Lily's hand to take her into the kitchen and away from the others, but they were stopped in their tracks by raised voices. Lily looked at Ginny, eyebrows raised, and muttered, "Sounds dangerous – let's go upstairs, shall we? We can pretend we're powdering our noses."

Ginny looked thoughtful for a moment before a sly smile spread across her face and she said, "Or we could be nosy and eavesdrop." She dug in her pocket and came up with a couple of pieces of long, flesh-colored string.

"What on Earth are those?" Lily asked.

"Extendable Ears, invented and patented by my older brothers, Fred and George," Ginny said as she sent the Ears to lurk at the edge of the hallway as she and Lily stood near the Christmas tree.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, really," they heard Ron say, followed by Hermione's sharp intake of breath.

"Why are you so sorry, Ron? I wasn't," Hermione said, and Ron stared at her, his mouth slightly open.

"Well, I just…I dunno, I thought we were just going along with it because Harry was there – I didn't think you really wanted to, so I didn't want you to get mad at me. We fight enough as it is," he said slowly.

"I just don't understand, Ron," Hermione said in a heated voice. "Am I not good enough? I mean, I know I'm bookish and bossy and have this annoying hair, but I'd think that even all of that wouldn't make kissing me so unappealing that you were just doing it so you wouldn't be _embarrassed_!"

Ron shuffled his feet and muttered, "It wasn't that…I like your hair."

"Then what was it?" Hermione snapped, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

"It's…well, it's just that…we're so different." He ran a hand through his hair nervously. "I mean, our backgrounds are so different – I feel lost sometimes when you talk about Muggle stuff, especially when it's something I should know already…and you know practically _everything_ about everything and I'm just an ordinary bloke...and we already fight all the time – and we're just friends now. Imagine what it'd be like if we were together more than we already are!" he said, but she cut him off.

"So that's it? You feel threatened because I'm smart? Because I'm so _different _from you? Well, if I was really smart, Ron Weasley, I would never have let you kiss me in the first place!" And with that, she whirled on her heel, stalked out of the kitchen, and up the stairs. Ron trailed after her, red-faced, before flopping down on the sofa next to Sirius.

Ginny looked after them briefly, frowning as she rolled up the Extendable Ears, before Lily pulled her into the kitchen.

Once there, Lily gave Ginny her best "tell me or I'll drag it out of you" glare.

"Well? What's going on with Remus and your friend?" she asked.

"You're as good as my mum at that," Ginny mumbled, and Lily smiled. Ginny continued, "All right, I'll tell you the full story, but you may not want to tell James, and you really, _really_ mustn't tell Remus."

"I'm listening," Lily said, leaning against the counter and crossing her arms.

"It's like this," Ginny began. "You know how Remus underestimates himself a lot because he's a werewolf?"

Lily rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yes, he's always done that, even at school. He never tried to draw any attention to himself, even when he was a prefect and he needed to. Hell, the only reason he thought Dumbledore made him a prefect at all was so he could control James and Sirius! He never got it all the way through his thick skull that it was also because he got top grades and was a good leader!"

Ginny smiled. "Right, well, he's the same way now. Thinks he doesn't deserve to be happy because he's a monster - "

"Now that is _complete_ rubbish!" Lily shouted before Ginny covered her mouth.

"Shhhh!" Ginny hissed. "I know that, _you _know that, and everyone _else _knows that, but Remus doesn't seem to get it. Tonks loves him, and he loves her back, but he keeps pushing her away because he thinks he's too old, too poor, and a werewolf to boot. It was hard enough for her to convince him that he was being stupid – if he thinks he's predestined to love her, he'll fight it even more! _That's _why we felt she had to disguise herself."

Lily nodded slowly as Ginny took her hand away. "I can see Remus thinking exactly that quite easily," she sighed. "All right, I'll let it drop." She suddenly smiled mischieveously. "But I _do_ think that we should try to get them together under the mistletoe as much as possible."

Ginny laughed as they walked back into the sitting room. "We could all do with a good snog."

In the sitting room, Sirius was needling Ron, who was almost purple. "So, you're going to stand there and tell me that it was just an innocent kiss under the mistletoe after you were gone for ten minutes? You even missed Lizzy and Remus' spectacular snog!" Sirius said, the smirk audible in his voice.

"Yeah…well…we're just _friends_, all right? Leave it alone!" Ron yelled at him before slumping back into the couch. "Besides, why would she want me anyway?" Ron asked hoarsely. "I'm poor, rubbish at school when she's brilliant, and I'm nothing special to look at. She's…she's really smart and funny and…and beautiful..." He rubbed his hands over his face, looking dejected.

Sirius patted him hard on the back. "Buck up, mate! You'll get the girl eventually!" He winked at him. "I always did."

"Yeah, but you're a Black, you've got money, and you're good-looking. I'm just…normal." Ron said, and Sirius shrugged modestly before responding, "Well, yeah, but you've got your own something. Besides, it's obvious she's got eyes for you. Take it from a fellow chick magnet."

Ginny snorted as she snuck by them and up the stairs to check on Hermione, who'd hidden in the guest room were sharing.

Ginny pushed open the door slowly. "Hermione? It's Ginny – is it okay of I come in?"

She was sitting on the bed, her eyes red and swollen. "I suppose," she mumbled, staring down at her hands. Ginny sat next to her and put an arm around her.

"What's wrong? What happened between you and Ron?" she asked, pretending that she hadn't heard anything. Hermione gave a bitter laugh.

"We got stuck under the mistletoe when Harry hung it up, and Ron got all serious about how it was tradition and everything. Then he bent down to kiss me and…and it lasted two seconds before he pulled away, like he couldn't wait to get away from me as soon as Harry walked off. It's hopeless Ginny – he doesn't want me. So, I kind of yelled at him about it, and now he's angry with me."

Ginny sighed. "Trust my brother to cock that up," she mumbled, and Hermione jerked her head up to stare at Ginny.

"Didn't you hear me, Ginny? He doesn't like me like that – he made it perfectly clear that he thought we weren't suited for one another," Hermione said slowly.

"What exactly did he say, Hermione?" Ginny asked patiently.

"He…he said that he was sorry, that he felt like he had to kiss me because Harry knew we were under it, and that he didn't mean it. So I asked him why it was so painful for him to kiss me, and he said that we were too different and that I was too smart for him," Hermione said, her voice wobbling.

Ginny sighed and shook her head. "My idiot brother…" she muttered, and Hermione stared at her again.

"He did have some valid points," she said, her voice wobbling even more. "We do fight all the time, and we do have really different backgrounds – "

Ginny cut her off with a wave of her hand. "Rubbish! I'll just to talk to him, Hermione, don't worry." But as she stood to leave, Hermione lunged at her and grabbed her arm.

"Please don't, Ginny, it'll only make things worse," she pleaded. "We'll get over this – we always make up when we have a big fight. I don't…I don't want to lose him completely." She whispered this last, as if afraid to admit it to herself.

"Don't worry, Hermione, I know what I'm doing," Ginny soothed, prying Hermione's fingers off her arm. "I'm not going to go in and start hexing him, I promise. Now, why don't we go downstairs? You can play with the baby – that'll take your mind off of things."

Hermione bit her lip worriedly, but allowed Ginny to lead her out of the room and downstairs, where her arms were suddenly full of a cooing baby, and she smiled.

As Hermione cooed back at baby Harry, Ginny walked over to Ron and tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up with a hangdog expression.

"What? I know I cocked up – I'll…I'll fix everything when she's not so mad at me, don't worry," he said quietly. Ginny smirked.

"Well, at least you know you cocked up. But I don't think you really realize why…can I have a private word, brother dear?" Her voice left no room for argument, so he shrugged and followed her into the kitchen.

"All right, have at me," he said as soon as they entered the room, though he sat at the far end of the kitchen table, away from the cutlery drawer.

"Oh, Ron," Ginny said, shaking her head as she sat next to him. "Believe it or not, it's really hard for me to kick you when you're so down, so I won't do it very hard. It'll be more like a nudge, promise." Ron snorted, but remained silent as she continued. "You've got to learn to _communicate _with her, Ron! Now, tell me how you really feel about her, even though it's obvious to everyone."

He looked at her suspiciously and asked, "If it's obvious to everyone, why do I need to tell you?"

She sighed. "Because I want to make absolutely sure, you dolt. I want you to be happy, believe it or not – I'm on both of your sides. If you really only care for Hermione as a friend, then I'll tell her that and you two can go back to bickering about the weather. But I think we both know there's more to it than that."

He opened his mouth as if to argue, and then sighed, hanging his head in defeat. "I dunno why I'm telling you this, Ginny, but I'm so miserable right now that I really don't care," he said in a monotone voice before raising his head to look her in the eyes.

"I'm in love with her, Ginny. I'm in love with her, but I'm not good enough for her, so there's no hope," he said simply. Ginny nodded.

"I thought so," she said, narrowing her eyes slightly. He squirmed under her gaze, as she looked uncannily like her mother at that moment. "You know, that's one thing that you and Harry have in common – you're both so bloody noble that you'll make yourself and the people you love miserable because it's _best for them_. I suppose it's why you're such good friends…anyway, pay attention to me Ron, because this is very important."

He nodded silently as she began.

"Right. When a person falls in love, it doesn't matter if the one they love _deserves_ them or not – love doesn't know boundaries like that. You've just told me that you love Hermione, which, by the way, everyone else has known since your second year – I was just a first-year, and I caught it."

Ron opened his mouth furiously, and she hurried on. "But that's not really my point – the point is, that love doesn't care about things like social status or money or even intelligence – it's an emotion, and as long as you both share it, you'll be happy. Hermione loves you too, Ron."

His eyes widened as his mouth dropped open and he stared at her for a full minute. "Say that again," he said, stumbling over the words. Ginny smiled.

"She loves you, Ron. She doesn't care that you're poor, or average at school, or an annoying prat. She loves you because you're _you_."

He continued to stare at her, a wide grin spreading slowly across his face until it was transformed. "She loves me. She _loves_ me!" He stood suddenly and laughed out loud, as if he couldn't contain it. "She loves _me! Me!_"

He pulled his sister into a crushing hug, and then abruptly let her go. "And I love her. I've got to go and tell her!"

"Go ahead, big brother. Good luck," Ginny said, wincing as she rubbed her sore ribs. "Try not to muck it up, will you? I don't want to fix things for you again."

"I won't," Ron called over his shoulder as he hurried out of the kitchen and over to Hermione, who was still playing with the baby in the sitting room.

"Ron!" Hermione said in a startled voice, her eyes huge with surprise as he pulled her to her feet. "What're you _doing?_"

He dragged her upstairs and into the spare room, where she sat on the bed as he knelt in front of her, panting slightly from his efforts.

"Sorry," he wheezed. "Had to come…before I lost…my nerve. Had to…tell you…"

"Tell me what?" Hermione broke in. "That we're not suited? That all we'll do is fight all the time? That – "

"_No!_ Hermione, will you just listen?" he exploded suddenly, and she stopped talking to stare at him with huge eyes. He took a deep breath.

"Hermione," he began shakily, taking both her hands in his. "I…I'm not good with words, and no matter what I do, I seem to muck it up. But…but I had to tell you, even though it's crazy."

He looked up then, meeting her gaze. "I…I love you, Hermione. I have since at least second year, if not before that. I don't even remember how it happened it just…happened. And I know I don't deserve you," he hurried as she opened her mouth to say something. "But I just had to tell you after talking with Ginny – she made me get the nerve to finally say something and – "

Hermione silenced him with her fingers and smiled as she slid off the bed to kneel next to him on the floor.

"I love you too, you idiot," she murmured before pulling his head to hers and kissing him deeply. He wrapped an arm around her waist and stroked her hair with his other hand as he lost himself. This went on for several long, long moments that seemed like hours before they finally broke apart, grinning like fools.

"I – I can't believe this – I feel like I'm going to explode, I'm so happy," Ron said blissfully before frowning. "It must be a dream, then."

Hermione snorted and pinched him hard on the arm.

"_Ow!"_ he yelled, rubbing the sore spot.

"Does that feel like a dream?" she demanded before pulling him down and kissing him hard. "Does that? Honestly, Ron, you're hopeless."

"Hopelessly in love with you," he replied, kissing her back. This continued for sometime before they finally decided to rejoin the party.

"My knees _hurt,_" Ron complained as he stood, helping Hermione up. "Yours okay?"

She shrugged and smiled. "Not really, but it was worth it, so I'm not complaining." She arched an eyebrow. "Unlike you."

"Ha!" he laughed, grabbing her hand. "I guess that means I really am your boyfriend now instead of just pretending," Ron joked as she rolled her eyes.

"Don't ever assume, Ron – you never quite know what will happen," she said primly, and he frowned. However, as he opened his mouth to argue, she smiled at him. "Though in this case, your assumption is right," she teased, kissing him on the cheek before leading him downstairs to join the others.


	19. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm

9

Chapter 19:

I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm

Harry looked up from the conversation he was having with his parents to see Hermione and Ron descending the stairs, hand in hand. He grinned.

"So, all's well in paradise, then?" he called to them. Ron's ears instantly turned red as he nodded, and Hermione tried to hide her smile.

"Yeah…yeah, everything's fine now," Ron said, glancing at Hermione.

"We're officially dating," she announced to the room, raising their joined hands. No one even pretended to be surprised, not even Remus and Sirius, who'd only known them for an hour or so.

"Yeah, I officially asked her to be my girlfriend," Ron said proudly. "Just now, upstairs in the guest room…" He frowned suddenly. "Wait a minute…there was only one bed in that room." He turned to James accusingly. "You said there were two when you told me you'd put Harry and my sister in there!"

James looked down sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Well…yeah, see, we…erm, just replaced them with the double…so…I, erm, forgot."

Ron glared at him for a moment, and then turned to Harry, who looked apprehensive. "So, Harry, are you being a gentleman and sleeping on the floor, or do I have to break your nose?"

Harry opened his mouth to reply, but Ginny broke in before he could say anything.

"He tried to be, but I thought it was stupid, especially as the heat wasn't working. I didn't want him to freeze to death, so I practically had to force him to get into bed with me," she said hotly. "Besides," she continued as her brother's expression became thunderous. "Harry's not going to pressure me into anything I don't want to do! First, he's a gentleman, and second, if he'd tried, he'd STILL have Bat-Bogeys coming out of his nose and be curled on the floor in a fetal position!"

Every male in the room, even Ron, winced as she said that, though Ron tried to make an argument anyway. "But Ginny, you're my little sister! I don't – "

"You don't have a choice about the matter, Ron! If I wanted to shag Harry senseless, it would be none of your business! That's not happening," she quickly assured him, "but it's STILL none of your business!"

"But Ginny, you're not of age yet, you can't – "

"Can't WHAT? I can do whatever I damn well please! When I fought with all of you at the Department of Mysteries and saw Voldemort come back, I stopped being a child. You have no control over me, brother dear, so SHUT IT!"

She glared at him so hard that if her glance had been a physical blow, it would have knocked him into the wall behind him – Harry placed a hand on her shoulder and drew her back towards him a little.

They stared at each other for a moment, the tension between them crackling and sparking like invisible lightning. Then they heard the sound of a throat clearing.

"Erm…what exactly do you mean by you saw Voldemort come BACK?" Remus asked tentatively, and every head turned towards him. "I mean…he's here."

Harry sighed wearily, breaking the tension. "It's…complicated, Remus, and – "

"Isn't something we can really talk about," Tonks broke in. "Suffice to say that there are moments of peace, but the war never really ends. Or it hasn't yet, anyway."

She glanced over at Harry sympathetically. "Sorry, mate. I'm just - "

"Doing your job, I know," Harry said, smiling weakly at her. "I try not to reveal too much but….that doesn't always work."

Sirius and Remus' eyes had fastened on Tonks when Harry mentioned her job.

"What do you mean, your job?" Remus asked, a slightly accusatory tone in his voice.

"Yeah! What is it that you do, exactly?" Sirius chimed in. The atmosphere in the room had gone from happily warm to coldly distrustful – if icicles could have formed in that cozy room, they would have.

Tonks sighed and sank wearily back into her seat. "My official position is as an Auror for the Ministry of Defense, but my unofficial job, and the one that Harry's referring to now, is that I work for the Order of the Phoenix. I'm supposed to do as much as I can to keep Harry and the others from revealing too much about the future, and to get them all home safely on New Year's Eve. In a way, I guess I'm the Order's representative here."

She grinned suddenly. "Really, it's a bit surprising they trusted me with this, since I'm one of the younger members, and don't have as much experience as the others. It must just be my awesomeness."

The silence was broken by Sirius' bark of laughter, and soon conversation picked up again around the room as Lily and Hermione moved to diffuse the tension. Soon, Tonks was laughing with Remus again, and Sirius was deep in conversation with Harry and James.

"You know, sometimes I wish I could find someone like you have, James," Sirius said wistfully, looking over at Lily and Ginny, who were sharing a laugh. "All of you seem to have it, really, from what I can tell," he continued, glancing at Harry, who nodded a silent confirmation.

James gave him a sharp look. "I thought you enjoyed being "the most eligible bachelor in Wizarding London," as Lily's _Witch Weekly_ called you last week. You certainly seem like you're having fun when I catch you in the party pages of _The Prophet_. "

Sirius waved a hand dismissively. "Oh yeah, I have fun, but…lately it feels a bit hollow, you know? Like something's missing. And it doesn't help that everyone around me is getting married and having babies."

James slapped him on the back, grinning. "It's 'cause you're getting old, Padfoot. Starting to get sentimental." 

"Mrs. Weasley said that it was like that during this time," Harry ventured. "People getting married quickly because they were afraid to wait because of the war. Maybe that's why everyone's pairing off."

"It does seem kind of like that, now that I think about it," said Sirius.

James shrugged. "It wasn't like that for me and Lily, you all know that," he said. "We were just meant for each other," he continued with a dreamy smile. "What was the point in waiting?"

Sirius snorted. "She didn't seem like she was meant for you that time she glued your tongue to the roof of your mouth twice in one day," he said dryly. "But really, James, you and Lily are perfect for each other. I'm just starting to wish I could find someone like that too, especially with all the other 'happy couples' here tonight," he added as he looked around the room.

Ron and Hermione were snuggled happily together on the sofa, hands clasped. Remus and Tonks were deep in conversation, though it seemed to be a good one as Tonks threw back her head and laughed while Remus gave her a shy smile and brushed his shaggy hair out of his eyes.

Lily walked up behind James right then and slung her arms around his neck. "Hi, sweetheart," she said, and he turned his head a little to kiss her cheek. "What're you boys chatting about?"

"Oh, Sirius was just whining about how everyone else is paired up and he's still single," James replied, and Lily turned to look at Sirius.

"What about Marleene McKinnon? I thought the two of you really hit it off the other night," she asked, but Sirius just shrugged.

"We did, but it's early days yet," he answered. "I mean, she's fantastic, but you know, she's busy and I'm busy…"

"And you'd be perfect for each other if you'd just stop long enough to realize it," Lily said, interrupting him. "If you'd just make time for each other – "

"All right, Lily, all right! I'll make time, I promise!" he said, and she gave him a satisfied smile.

"Good. Now stop complaining about how alone you are and go see her when you leave here – I know she'd love to see you, especially as she's all alone for the holidays too," Lily said.

Sirius perked up. "I didn't realize that," he said. "When she said her parents were going to France to see her sister, I thought she'd be going too." He smiled roguishly. "Maybe I'll pay her a Christmas visit after all."

"You do that," said Lily. "Meanwhile, I think _somebody_ needs to come meet me under the mistletoe, James." She pulled him to his feet and dragged him off as Sirius threw a pillow at them.

"Get a room!" he shouted as they disappeared down the hall. Then he sighed.

"I want something like that," he told Harry quietly. "As much as I fight against it, I really do want something like they have. And what you seem to have with Ginny." He looked over at Remus and Tonks, whose conversation seemed to have turned more serious. Their hands had crept closer together, though they weren't quite touching yet. Sirius smiled before turning back to Harry. "Even old Moony's got someone tonight."

Harry didn't know what to say, as he couldn't exactly reassure Sirius that he'd find the girl of his dreams before it was too late. He simply didn't know enough about Sirius' personal life before he ended up in Azkaban, and if he'd met anyone after that, he certainly hadn't told Harry before he'd fallen through the Veil.

Harry felt his throat close as he thought of that moment, and coughed. "Don't worry too much, Sirius," he said, saying the opposite of what he meant. "Just…you know, _live_. Enjoy the good times – they're too short."

Sirius gave him an odd look, but then smiled and stood. "You know, I think I'll take your advice, Harry. And as it's getting late and things seem to be winding down anyway, I think I'll go wish Marleene a Happy Christmas."

Harry smiled, though there was still a shadow of sadness there. So many dead…Marleene among them, as he remembered her from the Order photograph that Moody had given him a couple of years ago.

"Oi! James! Lily! Unglue your lips, I'm heading out!" Sirius shouted, stepping over to the fireplace. Remus and Tonks stood to bid him farewell, and he and Remus embraced for a moment before he stuck out a hand to Tonks.

"Bye, Lizzy," he said as she clasped it. "It was great meeting you, even if only for the night. You're quite a girl."

She flashed him a grin. "Don't worry, Sirius, you'll see me again. You just may not know it's me," she said, and he grinned back. Lily and James hurried up at that moment, and Lily threw her arms around Sirius as James scooped up baby Harry for Sirius to kiss.

"Be careful, all right?" she said when she finally let go. "It's getting late, and it's not safe."

"Don't worry about me Lily, I'll be fine," Sirius assured her as he hugged James and shook Ron, Hermione, and Ginny's hands. "Be good to my godson," he told Ginny, half in jest and half in seriousness. "He's the only one I've got."

"I will, don't worry. He means the world to me," Ginny assured him as Harry stepped up to tell him goodbye.

Harry hugged his godfather tightly, his throat closing up and his eyes threatening to water, though he managed to hold them off.

"Bye, Sirius," he mumbled when he let go. "It…it was great to see you."

Sirius smiled. "It was great to see you too, Harry. You've grown into a fine young man – I couldn't ask for a better godson. I even got the best of both worlds tonight," he said, ruffling baby Harry's hair before turning back to his older godson. "I love you, Harry, and I'll always be there for you. Remember that."

Harry gave him a sad smile and hugged him again for the last time. "I know," he said quietly, stepping back so that Sirius could duck into the fireplace. "I love you, too, Sirius."

"Number 12, Grimmauld Place," Sirius shouted, and was gone in a flash of green flame. Harry stared into the fireplace a few moments longer, wishing he'd had more time with Sirius, but grateful that he'd gotten to tell his godfather a proper goodbye at last. Ginny, catching his thoughts, put her arms around him and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Don't be sad tonight," she said softly, and he snaked an arm around her waist to hold her closer.

"I'm not really," he whispered. "I'm thinking of the good times I got to have with him, and thankful that I at least got to say goodbye." He kissed her temple, and she squeezed him tighter.

James and Lily watched Harry and Ginny from across the room, sadness in their eyes as they remembered what he'd inadvertently told them a few nights past…

"_No, no, I don't have you or Dad, I lost you both before I could remember you…. I lost you…you and Sirius and Dumbledore...and Cedric…. I tried to save him, I tried, but I just wasn't fast enough…Sirius, too, and Dumbledore…. I couldn't save them, _any_ of them, and if they hadn't been trying to protect me they might not have died…."_

"Sirius," Lily breathed, and James put an arm around her. "Oh James, he lost Sirius too. He won't be there to take care of him!"

Her eyes suddenly grew bright, and James guided her away fro the others and into the kitchen, soothing her the whole time.

"We don't know that, Lily – we don't know when it happens. It sounds like he loses Sirius after he loses us, so maybe he'll still be around. Hush, darling," he murmured as she started sobbing quietly.

"My little boy," she whispered. "My poor, poor, lonely little boy." She turned into James and buried her face in his shoulder, muffling her tears. James continued to try and soothe her, stroking her hair and whispering encouragement, though his own eyes were shining with unshed tears.

"He's all by himself, James," she wept. "He's all alone, and I can't be there for him! I can't take care of him!"

"I know, darling, I know," James replied, fighting the lump rising in his throat. He couldn't lose control – he had to stay strong for Lily.

After a few minutes, she was able to pull herself back together, and they returned to the sitting room to visit with the others a while longer before they left.

Ron and Hermione were the first to make noises about leaving, and Remus and Tonks followed suit when they realized how late it was.

"You be careful," Lily said as she hugged everyone. "The Death Eaters searching around the house last night may not have left. "

"We'll be careful, don't worry. We're Apparating back, so we should be fine," Hermione said, though her brow furrowed in thought. "I wish I knew what they were doing, though…they have to know it's a hopeless search."

James shrugged. "I dunno, but they didn't find us, and that's all that matters to me. That and your safety," he added. "We don't want to lose anyone else."

"Bye James, Lily," Remus said, hugging his friends. "I'll see you on New Year's for the bonfire. Ginny, Harry, it was fantastic meeting you both."

Harry hugged the man who'd become so much of a father to him before stepping back to let Ginny bring his baby self forward for kisses from everyone.

"Ron, Hermione, it was wonderful meeting you as well," Remus continued, giving them each warm handshakes. "I hope to see you again in the future."

"Oh, you will, Professor," Ron said, laughing, and Hermione shushed him quickly. However, Remus simply raised an eyebrow.

"Professor, hm? Well, it's certainly a thought, though I doubt it'll happen any time soon."

"All things happen in time," Tonks said as she came up to him. He hesitated, unsure of how to tell her goodbye, but before he could do anything she laughed and threw her arms around him. He smiled and returned the gesture, wrapping her in his arms and holding her tight.

"Goodbye, Lizzy," he said, wistfully. "I wish we had more time together."

Tonks pulled back, a thoughtful look on her face, and looked over towards Ron and Hermione, who were waiting impatiently for her.

"You two go on ahead – I fancy a walk in the moonlight." She turned back to Remus and smiled. "That is, if the big, bad wolf would like to accompany me?"

Remus started at her jesting mention of his lycanthropy, staring at her incredulously before a smile broke over his face.

"Yes…yes, Lizzy, I'd love to walk you back." He bared his teeth menacingly. "And woe to any Death Eaters that try to hurt Little Red Riding Hood!"

The others all laughed at the joke, and then Ron and Hermione Disapperated back to the hotel. Tonks grabbed her cloak and tapped it with her wand, changing it from green to a bright, bold red as she swung it around her shoulders.

"Be careful!" Lily said again. "Let us know when you get back – I don't want to worry all night!"

"Don't worry, we will!" Remus told her as he and Tonks walked out the door.

"Goodbye, everyone! Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!" Tonks called out cheerfully, her red cloak flowing behind her.


	20. It Came Upon the Midnight Clear

11

Chapter 20

All Through The Night

After the door shut behind Remus and Tonks, Lily faced the others and said, "Listen! Do you hear that?"

Everyone was suddenly tense, listening, straining to hear whatever sound had apparently startled her. Just as Harry was starting to draw his wand from his pocket, Lily smiled and said, "That is the sound…of _silence._"

The others all laughed, and Harry let go of his wand as he, Ginny, and the Potters made their way back to the sitting room. There, they lit a normal fire in the grate, and soon its flames were crackling merrily.

James played with his son on the floor, while Harry and Ginny sat on the sofa. Lily seemed a tiny bit lost without everyone else there, and started picking up the sitting room, feeding bits of trash and paper into the fire. Finally, James grabbed her hand and pulled her down beside him.

"Stop running around, love! You're ruining the mood!" he complained, grabbing her around the waist to stop her from getting up.

"But I really should do the cleaning up – the kitchen is a mess –" she tried to say, but James immediately shushed her. "We'll deal with it tomorrow," he said firmly. "Better yet, _I'll_ deal with it tomorrow. You've done enough – you deserve a bit of a rest."

"No you won't! I'll come down to a dirty kitchen before you even wake up, you lie about," she replied, and he pretended to be angry.

"Lie about!" he said with false indignation. "Who was it cooked breakfast a few days ago _and_ cleaned up after, hmm?"

"Let's see…you did clean up after, I'll give you that. But buttering toast does not count as cooking breakfast," Lily shot back, a smile dancing around her mouth.

Harry watched his parents, smiling as they bickered happily back and forth. He kissed Ginny on the head, still watching them.

"This is what marriage should be like," he whispered, and she nodded, squeezing his hand. "Happy, energetic, and with enough room for error when someone screws up."

Ginny laughed softly. "Yeah, especially since every screw up will be _your_ fault," she teased. "_I,_ on the other hand, am perfect and will never screw up, ever. You'll be groveling at my feet every day."

"Oh _really_, Miss Perfect?" Harry asked, digging his fingers into Ginny's sides and tickling her.

"Really! Really! Oh, Merlin, _stop it!_ You're driving me mad!" she squealed, squirming and giggling. "I swear, Harry Potter, when I get loose –"

"You'll what? Make me grovel? Looks like you're the one groveling now!" Harry shouted triumphantly, continuing to tickle her mercilessly until she dissolved completely into laughter.

"You know," said James, watching the couple on the couch thoughtfully. "That seems like –"

"A pretty good idea?" his wife finished, sneaking her arms around him and attacking his stomach. James shouted with laughter and attempted to turn the tables, but she held her own for a few minutes before he managed to grab her wrists.

"Ah HA! I have you now!" he shouted, and she giggled.

"You do indeed, dear. But before this degenerates completely, I'm going to get the baby washed up and ready for bed." She gave him a look as she picked up her son. "We'll finish this later."

James sighed as she stood and picked up the baby.

"Ready to go night-night, Harry?" she asked him, and he waved his arms.

"Ni ni!" he said, waving his chubby arms, and everyone laughed as Lily took him upstairs. James stood as well, stretching his arms above his head and yawning hugely before picking up where Lily had left off earlier.

"See? I'm cleaning!" he said to Harry and Ginny. "And she calls me a lie about, honestly! Watch, I'll have all this done by the time she gets back downstairs."

Harry and Ginny watched him for a few minutes as he made his way into the kitchen.

"We should probably try to help him," said Harry, after a loud clatter from the kitchen and some equally loud swearing made them both jump.

"We probably should," Ginny sighed, not moving. "But I'm so _comfortable_."

A moment later, a bang and more swearing had Harry pushing Ginny up so that he could go help his father, and she followed him into the kitchen, grumbling. They found him standing at the sink, his hands covered in bubbles as he tried to scrub a pot that was, unfortunately, larger than the sink itself. They exchanged looks, sighed, and jumped into the fray, wands extended.

A short while later, the kitchen was clean, the baby was asleep, and everyone was curled cozily in various spots. Harry and Ginny were on the couch, while James was sprawled in an armchair, Lily at his feet as he stroked her hair. Then, all of a sudden, Lily straightened, a sudden frown crossing her face.

"Harry, did you ever hear from your friends if they got home safe?" she asked before craning her neck to look up at James. "Or Remus?"

Harry shook his head. "No, I haven't. I forgot they were supposed to let us know – hang on, we can call them with the mirrors. Ginny? Where's the one Hermione gave us?"

"It's up in the room – hang on, I'll get it," she said, getting to her feet as Lily stood.

"James, do you think you should Floo Remus?" she asked, but he shook his head, placing a quieting hand on her arm.

"Let's wait until we hear back from Harry's friends – he might've lingered there a bit. If he's not there when they call, I'll Floo him," he said soothingly. "I'm sure they just forgot – Remus and Lizzy looked a bit distracted when they left." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and Lily laughed, relaxing slightly. Then Ginny came downstairs.

"Right, here, I'll call Hermione," she said, sitting next to Harry. "Hermione! Hermione, are you there?"

The mirror fogged for a moment, and then cleared to reveal Hermione's anxious face. "Ginny! We were just about to call you! Have you heard from Remus or T – Lizzy? They're not back yet!"

Ginny frowned. "But you and Ron got back okay, right?" Hermione nodded.

"Yes, we got back about an hour ago, and I know that they were walking back so I didn't expect them right away, but if they're planning on staying out all night, they really need to let us know! It's dangerous!" Hermione said in worried tones. "I wonder if we should go look for them. What do you think?"

Ginny looked up at the worried faces around her. "Let me check with the Potters, and then I'll check back. And make sure that you use the mirror if they show up!"

Hermione nodded, and the mirror fogged again, then reverted to normal, reflecting the room around it.

"James, you need to Floo Remus," Lily said firmly. "Maybe they decided to go to his place after their walk instead of back to the hotel. And give him a good scolding for me when you talk to him!"

James nodded briskly and strode to the fire, tossing Floo Powder on it and shouting, "Number 18, 136 Harrbinger Road!" He strode into the emerald flames, but moments later he was back, shouting for Lily to come quick and bring her Healing supplies. She ran up to their bedroom and was back in a flash, carrying a large box, and a light green bag with the words "St. Mungo's Hospital Emergency Supplies" emblazoned on both of them.

"Here, wait, let us help!" said Harry, rushing forward to take the bag from Lily. She nodded curtly and beaconed for them to follow as she threw more powder on the flames. But as she took a step forward, she hesitated, and looked back over her shoulder.

"Ginny, I hate to ask, but could you stay behind with the baby? We'll be back as soon as we can," she added, her forehead crinkled with worry.

Ginny opened her mouth to protest, and then shut it at the plea in Lily's eyes. She nodded, and stepped back away from the fire. Lily smiled her thanks, then turned and shouted the address again before walking into the green fire, followed by Harry.

When they stepped out of the fireplace at Remus' flat, they saw James hovering around Remus and Tonks, who seemed to be covered in blood.

"Oh no! What happened?" exclaimed Lily, running over with Harry right behind her.

"Death Eaters," grunted Tonks, holding a bandage to her forehead as Lily muttered spells over her leg. As Harry watched, the large gash in her calf mended itself, and the blood pouring from it slowed to a trickle, and then stopped all together.

Remus was stretched out on the floor, pale and unmoving as blood seeped through his shirt. James was kneeling next to him, chanting something that seemed to be slowing the bleeding.

"Lily! You're the expert here," he called over his shoulder at her. She left Tonks, who seemed have minor wounds, to examine Remus.

"It looks like he was knocked out," she said, and opened his shirt to get to the wounds. "These aren't too bad, though they certainly aren't great."

"But he'll be fine, right?" asked Tonks, her voice a whisper, and her face nearly as pale as Remus'. Lily nodded slowly as she healed him, and he revived a few minutes later.

"Lizzy!" he gasped, jerking awake. "Where – where is she? James! James is she all right? I tried – " he broke off with a painful moan, clutching his chest. Tonks hurried to his other side and took his hand.

"I'm fine, Remus, everyone's fine, we're safe. We're back at your flat," she soothed, stroking her thumb across the back of his hand. "Lily's working on you – she said you should be all right."

"But what – what about you?" he wheezed, and she smiled. "She's already fixed me, mostly," she replied. "I told you, I'm fine. Don't worry about me – you just concentrate on feeling better." He nodded and fell back, still clutching at her hand. She shifted so that his head was in her lap, and he smiled, eyes closed.

A short while later, he was well enough to sit up, though he still winced when he moved too quickly. Lily had given him a potion to drink that she said would work on him through the night.

"Now then, what happened?" asked James once Remus and Tonks were out of danger. "I know you said Death Eaters, but I need details – I've _got_ to make sure we're all safe."

Tonks glanced at Remus, who began. "Well, we were on the path from your cottage that leads to the main road. It was snowing, and everything was quiet. We weren't paying as much attention as we should have been, but it seemed fairly safe."

Tonks blew out a breath and shook her head. "Stupid," she muttered under her breath. "I was stupid – I let myself get distracted." Remus patted her hand.

"It's okay, Lizzy – " he started to say, but she cut him off.

"No, it's _not_ okay!" she shouted. "I'm an Auror – it's my job to be aware of my surroundings and not get caught in traps like that! We _knew_ there was Death Eater activity in the area – I should have known better! I shouldn't have let my guard down!"

"Lizzy," Remus said, an edge creeping into his voice. "Stop blaming yourself – I was there too, remember? I have just as much responsibility as you do! I might not be an Auror, but I'm in the Order of the Phoenix, and I've been fighting this war in one way or another since I was seventeen!"

He took a deep breath, before continuing in a calmer voice. "Besides, my hearing and sense of smell are incredibly sharp, thanks to my furry little problem." James snorted, and Remus glanced in his direction. "I thought that I'd be able to sense an assailant before he got too close."

"Anyhow, we'd only stopped for a moment when we were attacked – I'm not sure by how many – it all happened so fast – but there were at least five, maybe seven or eight all together." He looked over at Tonks. "Did you manage to get a count?"

She nodded. "I counted seven all together, though I think there might've been more coming – I heard one of them shout to the others about 'reinforcements' before we got out of there."

"How _did _you get out of there?" Harry asked, leaning forward. Remus smiled and looked over at Tonks again.

"It was Lizzy – she's brilliant in a fight," he said, admiration in his voice as Tonks blushed. "She managed to stun at least three of them, and gave me enough room to Apparate us here. I think that's where some of our wounds might've come from – did you get Splinched? I forgot to ask," he said, but she shook her head.

"No, I'm pretty sure it was just Death Eater's that got me," she replied. "I didn't see any faces either – they were all hooded and masked." She sighed and rubbed her face wearily. "I looked for identifying marks but I didn't see any – they were all well covered. I don't really have anything to add."

James nodded. "Thanks, Lizzy," he said, and then smiled at her. "And thanks for saving my friend," he added quietly, and she blushed again.

"I didn't really do anything," she murmured, and then her voice hitched for a moment. "It – it was my fault we were even out there – I'm the one that wanted to walk back instead of Apparate."

She looked over at Remus, her eyes suspiciously bright. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry for putting you in danger. I – "

But Remus reached over and placed his fingers over her lips, effectively silencing her. "I wanted to go too," he said. "All I had to say was say no."

"But you didn't," she said through his fingers, and he smiled. "No," he said. "I didn't."

They stared at each other for a long moment until James cleared his throat loudly, and they both started.

"Well," he said, slapping his knees and standing quickly. "I guess that's all we need to know – we should probably get back now. And, you know, tell the others about what happened. You need any help settling in?" he asked Remus, but Remus shook his head.

"No, I think I can manage," he said, though he looked shaky on his feet.

"Look, I'll stay here," Tonks said after a hard look at Remus' still-pale face. "I mean, I know I'm not in the greatest shape myself, but at least I'm better than he is. I can watch over him. Besides, I don't really feel like I could take Apparation again."

"And you shouldn't!" said Lily. "You're barely fully healed as it is – really, you _both_ need to rest. Once Remus drinks that potion, he'll be out like a light, and I'm going to leave something for you too, Lizzy. You should both feel like your old selves in the morning."

Tonks smiled at Lily's suddenly brisk manner. "Your patients must always get better if you talk to them like that! They're probably afraid not to!" Lily grinned at her and cracked her knuckles. Everyone laughed.

"Tell Ron and Hermione where I am and that I'm all right when you talk to them, all right?" she asked, and Lily nodded.

"Of course," she promised as she hugged them both carefully, though Remus still winced slightly. "Get some rest."

The others said good-bye and stepped into the Floo one by one. As soon as they stepped out of the fire, Ginny started pelting them with questions.

"What happened? Are Remus and Tonks all right? Was it the Death Eaters? I called Hermione back to let her know that you'd all gone to Remus', but she wants more details as soon as possible. Oh, and the baby's fine," she added as Lily hurried up the stairs. "Not even a peep."

Lily paused halfway up and smiled down at her. "Thank you, Ginny – I knew you'd take good care of him."

"Well of course!" Ginny replied, grinning. "I want him to grow up, don't I?" She rubbed Harry's arm as she said it, and he felt his ears turn red. He cleared his throat as Ginny called Hermione with the mirror, and hurriedly began explaining what had happened. Once everything had been explained, Hermione sighed so loudly that it sounded like she was in the room with them.

"Well, I guess all we can do now is meet back up in the morning," she said, and James reluctantly agreed with her.

"Yeah, everyone's safe and well guarded, and there's not really anything we can do until then – it'd be mad to search the woods in this darkness, and they're probably all gone anyway," he said glumly.

They all said their goodbyes and tried to settle around the sitting room, but James immediately got up to pace, unable to sit still. Harry knew how his father felt – he felt helpless and ineffective, unable to protect the ones he loved. He tightened his arms around Ginny.

Lily stood abruptly. "James, let's go to bed, I'm tired." He looked up instantly, still on edge, but nodded and followed her up the stairs. They paused at the top.

"Good night," Lily called down to them.

"I hope you sleep well, when you get the chance," added James, a bit grimly.

"I'll probably be awake a bit longer, but thanks," he replied, and Ginny nodded as the Potters disappeared into their room.

Harry sighed and dropped his head to Ginny's shoulder once they were gone.

"Ginny…you don't think this Death Eater activity is because we're here, do you? That it's my fault?" he asked, and strands of her hair swept across his face as she turned her head.

She lifted his face and looked him dead in the eye. "Harry Potter, you listen to me: what happened to Remus and Tonks was _not_ your fault. Voldemort's been after your parents for months – of course he's got Death Eaters patrolling the woods! He probably figures that they'll let their guard down because it's Christmas or something."

"But they kind of did – " he began, but she covered his mouth with hers, silencing him effectively. After a moment, she pulled away.

"It's not your fault," she said firmly. "Get it through your thick skull."

He raised an eyebrow and grinned slyly. "And if I don't?" he asked, leaning forward.

Her lips curved up into a smile and she eased closer, whispering in his ear, "Then I'll just have to convince you."

He shivered as her lips brushed his ear, then pulled her to him and kissed her fiercely. She responded in kind, and they didn't resurface for several long, long minutes. They both gasped a little when they finally came up for air, breathing hard.

"Ginny…Ginny, you mean the world to me – I will always protect you – I love you," he breathed, and she smiled.

"My hero," she replied, a hint of sarcasm creeping into her tone, though her smile softened it. "Remember what happened the last time you tried to protect me?"

He groaned and nodded. "But this is different," he argued. "I know that you're supposed to be with me now – I know that I can't just put you somewhere safe until the war is over. I just…I just wanted you to know that I will do everything in my power to keep you safe."

She raised both hands to his head and buried her fingers in his hair, pulling his face down to her so that their foreheads touched. "I know," she whispered. "And I'll do the same for you."

Then she kissed him again, and Harry lost track of time for a very long while. Eventually, however, their kisses became less fervent, and then slowed as their worry and exhaustion began tugging them towards sleep.

They stayed on the sofa, as neither could muster the energy to get up and go upstairs. The fire was warm, comforting, and slightly hypnotizing. Harry stared into it as Ginny fell asleep on his shoulder, the dancing, red-gold flames reminding him of her hair. Soon, his eyes closed too, and he followed Ginny into uneasy dreams full of unseen dangers and flashes in the dark.


End file.
